tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283130242019-02-05T21:03:48.500-08:00Pleasure PalateTasting Life's Pleasures!pleasurepalatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12440637859807035906noreply@blogger.comBlogger520125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28313024.post-5431269775965022422012-07-06T22:59:00.003-07:002012-07-06T22:59:57.712-07:00Thank You and Until We Eat Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vYep56oTpug/T_fOCnFHs0I/AAAAAAAADIw/TdOxF3dtUqg/s1600/thanks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vYep56oTpug/T_fOCnFHs0I/AAAAAAAADIw/TdOxF3dtUqg/s320/thanks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Hey everyone! I know it's been awhile. In fact, 3 months is the longest I've ever gone without writing a post. As you can probably tell from the "Thank You" graphic, this post is going to be quite different than the rest.<br /><br />It all started actually 4 or 5 months ago when I somehow deleted over 300 photos from my Picassa Album. Of course, this was before I used Flickr to store my photos. Slowly, I started adding photos back, but I found myself procrastinating and just kept on putting up new blog posts instead.<br /><br />However, when I found myself procrastinating even more when it came to writing up new blog articles, I realized that this way of blogging wasn't for me anymore. Don't get me wrong. I still enjoy eating out, but the whole process of doing restaurant critiques just wasn't something I wanted to put any more extra effort into.<br /><br />After awhile, I decided that I needed to keep things simpler. I still wanted to share info about the restaurants I visit and the delicious meals I experience, so one thing I did was open up an Instagram account. In fact, I have posted over 600 photos there, with the majority being food. <a href="http://followgram.me/pleasurepalate/" target="_blank"><b><i>Click here to check out my Instagram profile.</i></b></a> I'd love it if you follow me there.<br /><br />Going forward, I decided to move from Blogger to Tumblr. What I like about Tumblr is that it feels more stream of consciousness to me. Posts can be brief and to the point with just text, a photo or both and that definitely suits me at this point in my life. <a href="http://pleasurepalate.tumblr.com/" target="_blank"><i><b> Click here to follow me on Tumblr.</b></i></a> I'm still new on Tumblr, so it's still a bit bare, but it won't be for long, so I hope you'll give it a chance.<br /><br />Anyway, as I make this change in my "blogging" life, I did want to say a big "Thanks" to those of you who have read and commented on my blog posts. I've really appreciated the support. I'm also thankful for the many wonderful people I've met as well as for the unique culinary experiences I had as a direct result of writing this blog. It has been a wonderful 6-1/2 years and while it's an end for my "Blogger" life, my "Tumblr" life is just beginning.<br /><br />Of course, being as socially media obsessed as I am, you can still:<br /><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/PPalate" target="_blank"><i>Like the Pleasure Palate Facebook Page</i></a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/showsomefilipinofoodlove" target="_blank"><i>Like the Show Some Filipino Food Love Facebook Page </i></a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/abbyabanes" target="_blank"><i>Friend Me on Facebook</i></a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/pleasurepalate" target="_blank"><i>Follow Me on Twitter</i></a><br /><a href="https://foursquare.com/pleasurepalate" target="_blank"><i>Follow Me on Foursquare</i></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/" target="_blank"><i>Follow Me on Flickr</i></a><br /><a href="http://www.foodspotting.com/367138-pleasure-palate" target="_blank"><i>Follow Me on Foodspotting</i></a><br /><a href="http://pinterest.com/pleasurepalate/" target="_blank"><i>Follow Me on Pinterest</i></a><br /><br />Now you can also:<br /><br /><a href="http://followgram.me/pleasurepalate/" target="_blank"><i>Follow Me on Instagram</i></a><br /><a href="http://instacanv.as/pleasurepalate" target="_blank"><i>Purchase My Instagram Photos Here</i></a><br /><a href="http://pleasurepalate.tumblr.com/" target="_blank"><i>Follow Me on Tumblr</i></a><br /><br />To end, I won't say good-bye. Instead, how about an "Until We Eat Again!" :)pleasurepalatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12440637859807035906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28313024.post-44872209275031695382012-03-21T20:02:00.002-07:002012-03-21T20:57:36.628-07:00#LA2BAY: Sweet (Desserts at Patio Filipino) Followed by Savory (Lechon from Taste Buds)<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6999150171/" title="#LA2BAY: Patio Filipino and Tastebuds by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Patio Filipino and Tastebuds" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6046/6999150171_de38f356f3.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><i>This post is part of my ongoing series about my <a href="http://pleasurepalate.blogspot.com/search/label/%23LA2BAY" target="_blank">#LA2BAY</a> trip to San Francisco and continues my eating adventure after doing a Ferry Food Building Crawl.</i><br /><br />You'd think that after doing a <i><a href="http://pleasurepalate.blogspot.com/2011/11/la2bay-food-crawl-at-ferry-building.html" target="_blank">Ferry Building Food Crawl</a></i>, even a group of dedicated food lovers may have hit their limit, but three of us still wanted something sweet and somehow, nothing at the Ferry Building was appealing to our sweet tooth.&nbsp; So after conferring, we decided to take a short drive to Patio Filipino in San Bruno to get some Filipino desserts.&nbsp; This was actually going to be my second visit there<i> <a href="http://pleasurepalate.blogspot.com/2011/07/san-francisco-weekend-day-1-eats-chaat.html" target="_blank">since I had dinner there just a few weeks before</a></i>. When we arrived, we started off with a round of drinks that included buko juice and calamansi juice.<br /><br><a class="summary-link" id="patiofReadmoreLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='show("patiof")'>More ...</a><span id="patiofMain" class="summary-main"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6853025342/" title="#LA2BAY: Patio Filipino and Tastebuds by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Patio Filipino and Tastebuds" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7072/6853025342_22d8939135.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />As for dessert, we ordered 3 different kinds.&nbsp; The first to arrive was the Buko Con Seta which had jello made from fresh coconut juice with sweet beans and topped with ube ice cream.&nbsp;&nbsp; It all arrived nicely packaged in a coconut shell.&nbsp; I had this before and even the second time around, it was just as refreshing.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6999150097/" title="#LA2BAY: Patio Filipino and Tastebuds by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Patio Filipino and Tastebuds" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6231/6999150097_b12042db7f.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5923061075/" title="Kapamealya Dinner at Patio Filipino by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Kapamealya Dinner at Patio Filipino" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6126/5923061075_0846ef4cff.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Next was the Turon with Ice Cream.&nbsp; Turon is a fried banana lumpia (aka egg roll). Sometimes, turon is also a combination of banana and jackfruit.&nbsp; What's different about the lumpia wrapper for the turon is that sugar is usually sprinkled inside the wrapper.&nbsp; When it's fried, the turon has a lovely caramelization to it and that's what was good about the turon at Patio Filipino plus it arrived warm and crispy to our table.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6999149989/" title="#LA2BAY: Patio Filipino and Tastebuds by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Patio Filipino and Tastebuds" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6098/6999149989_6e063b9231.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Last was the Crema Pastelera which is a Flan Served with whatever berries are in season. While we were there, it was all about the strawberries. There wasn't anything unique about this flan, but it had a nice custardy texture, it wasn't too sweet and it tasted good. What more do you need? <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6999150051/" title="#LA2BAY: Patio Filipino and Tastebuds by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Patio Filipino and Tastebuds" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6097/6999150051_244db88d8b.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />By this time, we were stuffed to the gills and we honestly weren't going to eat anything else.&nbsp; But then, while stopping to get bottled water, we ended up right next door to Tastebuds.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6853025150/" title="#LA2BAY: Patio Filipino and Tastebuds by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Patio Filipino and Tastebuds" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7259/6853025150_a40089bbaf.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6999149927/" title="#LA2BAY: Patio Filipino and Tastebuds by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Patio Filipino and Tastebuds" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6059/6999149927_f79e861a69.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Tastebuds is a Filipino restaurant that specializes in lechon (whole roasted pig) and from Tuesday through Sunday, they serve a different style of Lechon&nbsp; We were actually planning on eating there while we were visiting San Francisco, but couldn't seem to fit it in our schedule and yet, there it was.&nbsp; So we went inside just to take a look and were greeted with a very porkalicious sight!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6999149889/" title="#LA2BAY: Patio Filipino and Tastebuds by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Patio Filipino and Tastebuds" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7229/6999149889_cfac5a3a51.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6999149837/" title="#LA2BAY: Patio Filipino and Tastebuds by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Patio Filipino and Tastebuds" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7207/6999149837_d3e383268e.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6999149779/" title="#LA2BAY: Patio Filipino and Tastebuds by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Patio Filipino and Tastebuds" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7052/6999149779_13aac6c480.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />The plan was just to order some lechon to go.&nbsp; Our intentions were good.&nbsp; They cut some pork, including skin, from that roast pig, put everything into a to go container for us to go back to the hotel with.&nbsp;&nbsp; However, it was looking and smelling so good, we broke down and actually ended up sitting down and eating that crispy skin and moist succulent pork goodness straight from the plastic container.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6853024816/" title="#LA2BAY: Patio Filipino and Tastebuds by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Patio Filipino and Tastebuds" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6041/6853024816_62ecf26fa1.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Wow, that was some of the best lechon I've had in a really long time and unfortunately, there isn't a Filipino restaurant in Los Angeles that does what Tastebuds does.&nbsp; So if you're reading this and you own a Filipino Restaurant in LA, please follow Tastebuds' lead and I bet you'll get a lot of happy pork lovers coming your way.<br /><br />This was definitely a full day and after all this eating, it was time to rest up because in just a few hours, we were going to be enjoying a delicious dinner at Attic, so stay tuned.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.patiofilipino.com/">Patio Filipino</a><br />1770 El Camino Real<br />San Bruno, CA 94066<br />(650) 872-9888<br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/6/335139/restaurant/Patio-Filipino-San-Bruno"><img alt="Patio Filipino on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/335139/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; width: 104px;" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.tastebudscuisine.com/" target="_blank">Tastebuds</a><br />582 San Bruno Ave W<br />San Bruno, CA 94066<br />(650) 583-0899<br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/6/1503296/restaurant/Tastebuds-San-Bruno"><img alt="Tastebuds on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1503296/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; width: 104px;" /></a><a class="summary-link" id="patiofCollapseLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='hide("patiof")'>^</a> </span>pleasurepalatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12440637859807035906noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28313024.post-25546831182164074622012-03-17T21:04:00.000-07:002012-03-17T22:39:59.253-07:00First Look: Snow Monkey by Kogi BBQ Founder, Mark MangueraIt's been over 3 years since I've first tried Kogi BBQ and in fact, Founder, Mark Manguera has even referred to me as the first blogger who blogged about them. <a href="http://pleasurepalate.blogspot.com/2008/11/tacos-with-korean-twist.html" target="_blank"><i>Click here if you'd like to read that post.</i></a>&nbsp; Since then Kogi BBQ&nbsp; is now considered the grand-daddy of the gourmet food truck culture in Los Angeles and I'm happy that I was one of the first to write about them.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6991134571/" title="Seoul Sausage and Snow Monkey Super Bowl Party by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Seoul Sausage and Snow Monkey Super Bowl Party" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7052/6991134571_c18335b3c9.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />With the success of Kogi BBQ, Mark has decided to take on a new venture called Snow Monkey and recently dropped me an email giving me the head's up. Along with&nbsp; telling what Snow Monkey was, he also mentioned the <a href="http://www.snowmonkeyice.com/sm_cares.php" target="_blank">Snow Monkey Cares</a> Program where a portion of all proceeds will be donated several times a year to various non-profit and charitable organizations.&nbsp; I love it when companies give back like that. So what's being served at Snow Monkey exactly? Well, what they make is a product that isn't frozen yogurt, that isn't ice cream and as they say, "not your average snow cone".<br /><br><a class="summary-link" id="snowmReadmoreLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='show("snowm")'>More ...</a><span id="snowmMain" class="summary-main"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6845007864/" title="Seoul Sausage and Snow Monkey Super Bowl Party by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Seoul Sausage and Snow Monkey Super Bowl Party" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7191/6845007864_6d6d34fc16.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />Of course, I had to taste this for myself and knowing this, Mark invited me to the Super Seoul Sausage Bowl Party where Snow Monkey was going to have a booth. Not that I wouldn't have gone anyway, but knowing that <a href="http://pleasurepalate.blogspot.com/2012/01/seoul-soiree-at-seoul-sausage-company.html" target="_blank">the Seoul Sausage Company was going to be serving their Korean sausages that I felt in love with last year</a>, it was the cherry on the sundae. In fact, Seoul Sausage and Snow Monkey are available for catering together if you're interested. I think they'd make a dynamic duo, don't you?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6845008624/" title="Seoul Sausage and Snow Monkey Super Bowl Party by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Seoul Sausage and Snow Monkey Super Bowl Party" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7202/6845008624_b0c2213754.jpg" width="375" /></a></div> <br />The way that Snow Monkey is made is that they infuse purified water with a different flavorings, freeze them into cylindrical ice blocks, which they proceed to shave.&nbsp; They will have 6 standard flavors that will be rotated as well as specialty flavors that will pop up every now and then on their menu.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6991134419/" title="Seoul Sausage and Snow Monkey Super Bowl Party by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Seoul Sausage and Snow Monkey Super Bowl Party" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7049/6991134419_3742be7f44.jpg" width="375" /></a></div> <br />Once you have selected your Snow Monkey flavor, you will have your choice of toppings which can include anything from chocolate pocky to candied bacon to lychee popping boba to crushed fortune cookies and more.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6845007726/" title="Seoul Sausage and Snow Monkey Super Bowl Party by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Seoul Sausage and Snow Monkey Super Bowl Party" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7066/6845007726_cae7bd1664.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6845007640/" title="Seoul Sausage and Snow Monkey Super Bowl Party by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Seoul Sausage and Snow Monkey Super Bowl Party" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7185/6845007640_2a40cd4c4a.jpg" width="375" /></a></div> <br />Sauces will also be available like condensed milk, chocolate sauce, strawberry puree, to name a few.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6845007552/" title="Seoul Sausage and Snow Monkey Super Bowl Party by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Seoul Sausage and Snow Monkey Super Bowl Party" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7209/6845007552_0073b5a8f1.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />My first taste was the Mango-Lychee topped with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. As was mentioned, it really wasn't a frozen yogurt, ice cream or snow cone. Instead, it was almost like a creamy pudding with just a hint of an icy texture.&nbsp; It was different, but I liked it and the mango and lychee flavors really shone through.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6991134087/" title="Seoul Sausage and Snow Monkey Super Bowl Party by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Seoul Sausage and Snow Monkey Super Bowl Party" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7195/6991134087_1178f87d84.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />The Maple flavor was the second one we tried.&nbsp; I actually thought it was way too sweet, but the candied bacon was a big help, but only after we broke it up into pieces and mixed everything together.&nbsp; That helped cut into the sweetness.&nbsp; Perhaps, candied bacon pieces may be a good topping option? I'd certainly go for it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6845007220/" title="Seoul Sausage and Snow Monkey Super Bowl Party by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Seoul Sausage and Snow Monkey Super Bowl Party" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7053/6845007220_7cd9c64141.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />The last three flavors we tried were just plain with no toppings or sauces.&nbsp; I loved the Taro and the Green Tea; however, I struggled with the Banana Creme flavor. It had a bit of an artificial banana taste that I didn't care for.&nbsp; Apparently, this was a new flavor that they were debuting at this party, so it probably still needs a little more work.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6991134143/" title="Seoul Sausage and Snow Monkey Super Bowl Party by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Seoul Sausage and Snow Monkey Super Bowl Party" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7201/6991134143_fd677d73d3.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Overall, I think Snow Monkey has a great start. With his past success with Kogi, I'm sure Snow Monkey Founder, Mark Manguera is going to take this business far.&nbsp; If you want to try Snow Monkey for yourself, they currently have a brick and mortar in Canoga Park and as I mentioned earlier, they are also available for catering.<br /><br />Before I end this post, I have to give a shoutout to the Seoul Sausage Company.&nbsp; They served Spicy Sausage Cheese Nachos which were absolutely delicious. I was hoping to get that Spicy Sausage Sandwich, but they ran out before I go to the front of a very long line. However, their Kalbi Sausage was more than satisfying and while not spicy, was just as juicy and flavorful as the first time I tried it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6845008214/" title="Seoul Sausage and Snow Monkey Super Bowl Party by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Seoul Sausage and Snow Monkey Super Bowl Party" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7068/6845008214_5075eeac6a.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6991134617/" title="Seoul Sausage and Snow Monkey Super Bowl Party by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Seoul Sausage and Snow Monkey Super Bowl Party" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7036/6991134617_8e34534d29.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />If you'd love to try Seoul Sausages and Snow Monkey for yourself, I'm hosting a private party at my home. For more info,<a href="http://www.meetup.com/pleasurepalate/events/56796082/" target="_blank"> please click here! </a><br /><br /><b>Snow Monkey</b><br />(inside Westfield Topanga Mall)<br />6600 Topanga Blvd<br />Canoga Park, CA 91303<br />(818) 888-8092<br /><a href="http://www.snowmonkeyice.com/" target="_blank"><i>Website</i></a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/snowmonkeyice" target="_blank"><i>Facebook</i></a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/snowmonkeyice" target="_blank"><i>Twitter</i></a><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/5/1635177/restaurant/Canoga-Park/Snow-Monkey-Ice-Westfield-Topanga-Mall-LA"><img alt="Snow Monkey Ice (Westfield Topanga Mall) on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1635177/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; width: 104px;" /></a><br /><br /><b>Seoul Sausage Company</b><br /><a href="http://seoulsausage.tumblr.com/"><i>Website</i></a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/SeoulSausage"><i>Facebook</i></a><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/seoulsausage"><i>Twitter</i></a><br /><a class="summary-link" id="snowmCollapseLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='hide("snowm")'>^</a> </span>pleasurepalatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12440637859807035906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28313024.post-24939808764783219292012-03-15T10:00:00.000-07:002012-03-15T18:45:43.624-07:00Mole of the Gods by Mole Queen, Chef Rocio Camacho<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6739034773/" title="Dinner at Rocio's Mole de los Dioses by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Dinner at Rocio's Mole de los Dioses" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6739034773_887e5959fd.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />When it comes to Moles in LA, there are few that can beat the mole creations of Chef Rocio Camacho. I first experienced her unique and delicious moles at Moles La Tia, where she once served as the Executive Chef. <a href="http://pleasurepalate.blogspot.com/2008/08/mole-heaven-at-casa-de-moles-la-tita.html" target="_blank"><i>Click here to read that post.</i></a>&nbsp; She eventually made her way to being the Executive Chef at La Huasteca in Lynwood and even worked as a restaurant consultant.&nbsp; In fact, one of the restaurants she worked with in terms of helping the Chef to finesse his moles was Juan's Restaurante in Baldwin Park. Juan's has become one of my favorite eating destinations <a href="http://pleasurepalate.blogspot.com/2011/12/cactus-moles-and-tequila-at-juans.html" target="_blank">ever since my first visit there last December</a>.<br /><br />Now it's Chef Rocio's turn and she has finally opened two restaurants, first in Huntington Park and then in Sun Valley. They are both aptly named Rocio's Moles de los Dioses (Rocio's Moles of the Gods).&nbsp; It's been a long time since I've had Chef Rocio's moles so I was happy to finally pay a visit with a friend to her Huntington Park restaurant.<br /><br />My meal started with an Horchata, but this was no run of the mill&nbsp; pre-made Horchata that you'll usually see at a lot of Mexican restaurants.&nbsp; Instead, it was freshly made up of condensed, evaporated and whole milk as well as pumpkin seeds that were boiled in cinnamon and fresh cactus flower syrup.&nbsp; The glass was also rimmed with colored sugar.&nbsp; What a perfect start to the meal.&nbsp; It was a little rich, but not overly sweet and the cinnamon gave it a nice spice.<br /><br><a class="summary-link" id="rocioReadmoreLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='show("rocio")'>More ...</a><span id="rocioMain" class="summary-main"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6739034663/" title="Dinner at Rocio's Mole de los Dioses by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Dinner at Rocio's Mole de los Dioses" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6739034663_66d5a50eb1.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />Our first appetizer consisted of 3 Types of Empanadas (Huitlacoche, Cheese and Squash Blossom).&nbsp; The empanada itself had a nice flaky crust and all the fillings were nicely seasoned. I have to give props to the huitlacoche which had a lovely smoky flavor to it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6739034275/" title="Dinner at Rocio's Mole de los Dioses by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Dinner at Rocio's Mole de los Dioses" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6739034275_ce7dbe06c4.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />We also shared a Queso con Chorizo with cheese, onions and chipotle chili. I've had my share of Queso dishes over the years, but this was one of my favorite renditions.&nbsp; The addition of the chipotle took this to another level with a nice hit of smoky heat that I thoroughly enjoyed.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6739034123/" title="Dinner at Rocio's Mole de los Dioses by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Dinner at Rocio's Mole de los Dioses" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6739034123_981b5b0434.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />I must have been parched because I drank up my horchata like there wasn't any tomorrow, but instead of getting a second serving of that, I opted to try the Bebida de los Dioses aka the Drink of the Gods instead. This drink is made to order with cacao, cinnamon, corn, vanilla and almonds. I think some of those ingredients are ground because the drink itself was pretty smooth. Even more so than the Horchata, I loved this drink.&nbsp; It was served fairly cold and it was so refreshing.&nbsp; This is the type of drink you'd order during a hot summer LA day.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6739033979/" title="Dinner at Rocio's Mole de los Dioses by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Dinner at Rocio's Mole de los Dioses" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6739033979_b8f80d81f4.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />After we finished up our two starters, we went to the main event which consisted of a meat sampler plate and a sample of six moles. First, there was the Mole de Cafe, which was a bit sweet, but paired perfectly with the shrimp. The second one I tried was the Mole Mandarin. It was definitely interesting. I likened it to being a dessert topping, but it did fine with the chicken. The three other moles included a Mole Poblano, Mancha Manteles and a Mole Verde, and were all very good.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6739033847/" title="Dinner at Rocio's Mole de los Dioses by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Dinner at Rocio's Mole de los Dioses" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6739033847_bef16650af.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />However, my favorite mole had a bold spicy citrus taste to it and was called Salsa de Mezcal y Gusano Maguey.&nbsp; The key ingredient came from a bottle of Mezcal that just happened to have a worm or two inside as well.&nbsp; From what I understood, the worms don't actually make it into this mole, but I could be wrong. Overall, Chef Rocio's moles had a silky smooth texture that were amazing.&nbsp; Each of the moles also had their own distinct flavors that were layered and complex. I was definitely happy to have Chef Rocio back doing what she does best.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6739033717/" title="Dinner at Rocio's Mole de los Dioses by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Dinner at Rocio's Mole de los Dioses" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7144/6739033717_e66374e4df.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />From the moles, we also tried a couple of tacos, a Lamb Barbacao Taco and a Cochinita Pibil Taco. Unfortunately, I wasn't that impressed.&nbsp; The lamb was a little gamey for my taste and while the cochinita pibil was moist, the flavor seemed lacking.&nbsp; It lacked a spicy kick.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6739033341/" title="Dinner at Rocio's Mole de los Dioses by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Dinner at Rocio's Mole de los Dioses" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7175/6739033341_64d0450923.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />We were quite full, but yes, we fit in dessert. In fact, we tried 3 different ones.&nbsp; First, there was the Diosa del Tiempo which are Conserved Pumpkins and Tejocates. Tejocates are a crab-apple-like fruit, but aren't actually apples.&nbsp; This particular dessert tends to makes its appearance during the Christmas holidays.&nbsp; It's definitely something I've never had before. The sweetness of the pumpkin was a good foil for the slightly crunchy tartness of the tejocates.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6739033213/" title="Dinner at Rocio's Mole de los Dioses by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Dinner at Rocio's Mole de los Dioses" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6739033213_5c87af602b.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Next were the Bananas in Tequila Sauce which was not only pretty looking but tasty as well.&nbsp; Finally, it all ended with a Rompope Flan. Rompope is an eggnog liquer and unfortunately, it erred on being too sweet for me.&nbsp; The flan itself had a nice texture, but that rompope was just too overwhelming.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6739033089/" title="Dinner at Rocio's Mole de los Dioses by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Dinner at Rocio's Mole de los Dioses" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6739033089_cf3ff5e56a.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6739032681/" title="Dinner at Rocio's Mole de los Dioses by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Dinner at Rocio's Mole de los Dioses" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6739032681_e086defebc.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Overall, I had a wonderful first time meal at Rocio's Moles de los Dioses. While there were a couple of misses, the moles were without flaw and I look forward for a return visit so that I can try even more moles and dishes from her menu.<br /><br />Rocio's Mole de Los Dioses<br />6242 Maywood Ave<br />Huntington Park, CA 90255<br />(323) 588-5536<br><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/5/1657615/restaurant/LA/Rocios-Mole-de-Los-Dioses-Huntington-Park"><img alt="Rocio's Mole de Los Dioses on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1657615/minilogo.gif" style="border:none;width:104px;height:15px" /></a><a class="summary-link" id="rocioCollapseLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='hide("rocio")'>^</a> </span>pleasurepalatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12440637859807035906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28313024.post-14463953737848653712012-03-07T11:00:00.000-08:002012-03-07T20:17:13.964-08:00The Best Counter Dining I've Ever Had Was At Chef Gary Menes' Le Comptoir<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738821099/" title="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7014/6738821099_5752dc67d2.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />With our love for food, it's only natural that Filipinos have entered into all facets of the culinary world, whether it's as a food business owner or as a chef.&nbsp; In fact, please check out my <a href="http://pleasurepalate.blogspot.com/p/kain-na-tayo-or-lets-eat.html" target="_blank">Filipino Food Love Page</a> to read about some of them who are based in LA.&nbsp; This particular post is all about Chef Gary Menes, whose food chops are definitely impressive, starting with his first job at the Patina Restaurant in LA to his stint at the world-renowned French Laundry with Chef Thomas Keller in 2000.<br /><br />After French Laundry, he returned to Los Angeles and earned 2, 3 and 2-1/2 stars successively from the LA Times for when he helmed the Firefly, Palate Food + Wine and the recently closed Marche.&nbsp; Currently, Chef Menes is running his own pop-up restaurant at Tiara Cafe in downtown Los Angeles. The name, Le Comptoir, is French for The Counter and refers to one's dining experience which involves sitting at 1 of 12 counter seats, which allows a bird's eye view of all the action.<br /><br />What's interesting is that given all his time in Los Angeles, my very first time trying Chef Menes' food was at Le Comptoir.&nbsp; When it comes to dining at Le Comptoir, it's a 5 course set menu; however, 3 of the courses could be swapped out with a different dish for a supplemental fee.&nbsp; Luckily, my dining partner and I ordered both the regular and the supplemental menu so that we could share everything.<br /><br /><a class="summary-link" href="javascript:return(false)" id="menesReadmoreLink">More ...</a><span class="summary-main" id="menesMain"><br /><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="summary-main" id="menesMain"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738824599/" title="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6738824599_762347b78b.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div><span class="summary-main" id="menesMain"><br />It started with us eyeing these beautiful loaves of bread sitting in front of us. Eventually, those loaves were sliced and&nbsp; served throughout the meal.&nbsp; They were perfect vehicles for dipping in whatever was left on our plates. After getting our bread, the rest of the meal commenced.<br /><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="summary-main" id="menesMain"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738824221/" title="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7168/6738824221_6c0b48a5e5.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738823981/" title="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6738823981_85f71ac638.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div><span class="summary-main" id="menesMain"><br />Our something amusing aka our Amuse Bouche was a French Cheese Puff filled with fromage blanc, gruyere and chives.&nbsp; Chef Menes mentioned that the flavors would remind us of ranch dip and that was definitely spot on. As for the cheese puff itself, it was light and airy.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738823869/" title="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7160/6738823869_a8678789b5.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Next up are the first course and the supplemental first course.&nbsp; The first course was an Okiwanan sweet yam veloute with pickled chanterelles, yogurt and farinette. I enjoyed the soup's smooth and silky texture as well as the sweet-earthy flavors of the ingredients.&nbsp; The presentation was also a nice touch.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738823249/" title="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6738823249_06afcfd06d.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738823103/" title="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7009/6738823103_f15885f03e.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738822913/" title="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7028/6738822913_e1d0b1e829.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />The supplemental first course was a French foie gras terrine with a preserved cherry compote and barrel aged vinegar.&nbsp; Sitting at the counter gave us a good view of Chef Menes slicing the foie gras terrine for us. As for this dish, I really appreciated how the tart-sourness of the cherries and vinegar cut into the sweet richness of the foie gras.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738823647/" title="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6738823647_10e8b895e1.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738823421/" title="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7024/6738823421_3229496691.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />The second course was a multi-step process. First, you were presented with a plate of greens, herbs and herbed butter as well as a very hot stone slab.&nbsp; Soon a small cast iron pan arrived with a sunny-side egg.&nbsp; We were then instructed to add the butter, then the greens and as little or all of the herbs and mix everything together. The herbs and sorrel added a nice hit of "spice" and overall, it was quite tasty.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738822589/" title="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6738822589_576cfea871.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738822299/" title="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7168/6738822299_ab7513fd43.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738821997/" title="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7168/6738821997_0002a6f93d.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Next was the third course and the supplemental third course.&nbsp; The third course was a "veggie platter"with&nbsp; musque de provence squash, mustard frill, fennel, bermuda onion petal, beets, brussels sprouts, warren pears and grapes. This was one of the best plate of vegetables I've ever had.&nbsp; I don't even know how to describe how good everything tasted. The textures were perfect and how the individual flavors of the various ingredients played off of each other was sublime.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738821779/" title="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7024/6738821779_b3141f4439.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />As for the supplemental third course, it was house made fettuccine with parmesan-reggiano cheese and burgundy black truffles. Simply, it was rich, cheesy, earthy and delicious.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738821467/" title="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/6738821467_8b3d2c422e.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Following our third course(s) came the fourth course and the supplemental fourth course.&nbsp; Our fourth course consisted of&nbsp; heirloom shelling beans "pot roast", romano beans, young celery, smoked scallions, sultana raisin-pistachio relish and truffle froth.&nbsp; The heirloom shelling shells had a lovely "meaty" texture which went well with the crunch of the beans and the celery.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738821355/" title="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6738821355_91cb47db1f.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />The supplemental fourth course was a j&amp;j grassfed strip loin with hearts of romaine, tomato marmalade, barbara's (of Windrose Farms) potatoes and parsley vinaigrette.&nbsp; The strip loin was cooked perfectly, red and juicy. It went well with the herbaceous parsley vinaigrette which reminded me of a chimichurri sauce.&nbsp; The tomato marmalade also added a nice acidity.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738820781/" title="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7023/6738820781_4f5dd36c5d.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738820655/" title="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7001/6738820655_cc2bb14571.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Finally, it was dessert time and what we got was a "lemon lush", graham cracker, chocolate, sour cream and vanilla tuille. Unfortunately, this dessert was the weakest part of the meal for me.&nbsp; The "lemon&nbsp; lush" had a nice lemony taste to it, but didn't have the luscious, creamy texture that I was looking for.&nbsp; I also found the vanilla tuille to be a bit hard. While the meal didn't end strongly with the dessert option, everything else up to that point was so good that it didn't detract from what I thought was one of my best meals of 2011.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738820285/" title="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6738820285_245ae13dc5.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Overall, this was truly a delicious dining experience and although better late than never, I left there kicking myself that I didn't get to experience any of Chef Menes' food earlier.&nbsp; All I can do now is make sure that my first experience will not be my last.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738820189/" title="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Le Comptoir with Chef Gary Menes" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6738820189_c31b4e8da3.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><b>Chef Gary Menes</b><br /><a href="http://www.lecomptoirla.com/index.html" target="_blank">Le Comptoir Website </a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/lecomptoirLA" target="_blank">Le Comptoir Facebook Page</a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/gary-menes-cuisinier/122513034434505" target="_blank">Chef Menes Facebook Page</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/garymenes" target="_blank">Chef Menes Twitter</a><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/5/1634794/restaurant/Downtown/Le-Comptoir-LA"><img alt="Le Comptoir on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1634794/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; width: 104px;" /></a><br /><a class="summary-link" href="javascript:return(false)" id="menesCollapseLink">^</a> </span>pleasurepalatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12440637859807035906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28313024.post-36773570070970602282012-03-06T18:28:00.000-08:002012-03-06T18:28:22.085-08:00Pleasure Palate Food Truck Tasting with the Go Chew Truck<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7189/6937098471_91406ea4ac.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-height: 700px; max-width: 700px;" /><br /><b>WHAT:</b>&nbsp;&nbsp; Private Food Truck Tasting with the Go Chew Food Truck with Pleasure Palate<br /><br /><b>WHEN:</b> Saturday, March 31st at 1 pm<br /><br /><b>WHERE:</b> Secret Location in Los Angeles, CA<br /><br /><b>COST:</b> $16 per person<br /><br /><b>DETAILS:</b><br /><br />Go Chew is one of LA's newest food trucks and what's interesting about the Food Truck Owner/Chef Charles Slonaker is that for the last few years, he's been traveling around the world cooking at different fine dining establishments including stints at Noma in Copenhagen and Commerc 24 in Barcelona as well restaurants in the states like Nobu 57 in NYC, Valentino in Las Vegas, and Joule in Seattle. Quite an impressive culinary resume, don't you think?<br /><br />And yet, the focus of his menu is on his Korean heritage and I have to say that the food I was able to sample was really delicious. Check out my recent blog post about Go Chew <a href="http://pleasurepalate.blogspot.com/2012/02/first-look-go-chew-food-truck.html"><i>by clicking here.</i></a> You can also see pictures of some of what I was able to try below, which included a Rice Cake Bowl, a Fried Chicken Bowl and a Spicy Soup.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7205/6937098171_514a09230e.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-height: 700px; max-width: 700px;" /><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7062/6790979448_6daf0fe732.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-height: 700px; max-width: 700px;" /><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7054/6937097841_57cef31177.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto; max-height: 700px; max-width: 700px;" /><br />The tasting is going to run <b>$16 per person</b> and will include the following:<br /><ul><li>Root Vegetables with Molasses Miso, Walnuts and Kale</li><li>Tofu Yogurt with Grilled Cucumber Pea Shoots and Lotus Roots</li><li>Egg Tofu with Spicy Aioli and Togarashi</li><li>Spinach Salad with Sesame Seed, Pickled Carrot and Bonito</li><li>Pork Bowl With Charred Pork Bely and Beer Brined Egg Yolk</li><li>Miso Soup with Fried Pork, Egg, Kimchi and Rice Cakes</li></ul><i>Beverages will be sold separately.</i><br /><br />This will be an awesome chance for you to not have to chase a food truck or have to look for it via Twitter.&nbsp; Instead, the truck is going to come to us and with it, your chance to try a variety of items on their menu at a reasonable price. So please come out and join&nbsp; us!<br /><br /><div style="color: black;"><b>To RSVP, Pay and Attend This Tasting, please join my Dining Group at the Link Below:</b><br /><br></div><div style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.meetup.com/pleasurepalate/events/54143402/" target="_blank"><b>http://www.meetup.com/pleasurepalate/events/54143402/</b></a></div>pleasurepalatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12440637859807035906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28313024.post-35146478560627800872012-03-04T13:08:00.000-08:002012-03-17T00:32:02.009-07:00Sweet on the B Sweet Dessert Food Truck<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738459123/" title="Filipino-Owned Food Truck, B Sweet Mobile by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Filipino-Owned Food Truck, B Sweet Mobile" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7160/6738459123_d8819561cc.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />As a Filipina Food Blogger, I'm all about supporting Filipino-Owned Food Businesses. So when I got an invitation to visit the Filipino-Owned B Sweet Mobile Food Truck, I was happy to stop by.&nbsp; Before I talk about the truck, let me introduce you to the Owner, Barb Batiste.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XLgOhX6A0NM/T2Q93KEfi8I/AAAAAAAADHs/jCpOrS_CK6Q/s1600/Barb+Batiste.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XLgOhX6A0NM/T2Q93KEfi8I/AAAAAAAADHs/jCpOrS_CK6Q/s320/Barb+Batiste.jpg" width="320" /></a>Barb has actually been in the food business for a number of years.&nbsp; Past stints included working along side the Executive Pastry Chef at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel as well as being the head pastry chef for an LA Art Gallery. But, while she enjoyed making high end pastries and desserts, her real love was all about making homemade desserts the old-fashioned way.<br /><br />That love was so prevalent that she even started a side business selling her own Chocolate Chip Banana Bread to local cafes, which got rave reviews. Eventually, Barb opened her own catering company and just recently, the B Sweet Mobile Food Truck.<br /><br />Since the Chocolate Banana Bread was what started it all, I definitely wanted to try that.&nbsp; I ended up taking a loaf home so that I could have a taste.&nbsp; To be honest, I'm not much of a "sweet" bread kind of person, but I can see why this was a good jumpstart to her business.&nbsp; It was moist and it tasted like fresh bananas were used in this recipe.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738458035/" title="Filipino-Owned Food Truck, B Sweet Mobile by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Filipino-Owned Food Truck, B Sweet Mobile" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7144/6738458035_b6f582d675.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738457819/" title="Filipino-Owned Food Truck, B Sweet Mobile by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Filipino-Owned Food Truck, B Sweet Mobile" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6738457819_90413eddc8.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />Other than the chocolate banana bread, you can take a peek at other items they carry below.&nbsp; Those items are the standard menu items; however, there will also be special dessert items. Every night, there will be a "hot" dessert option like a cobbler or bread pudding. Their selection of specialty cupcakes will also change flavors nightly.<br /><a class="summary-link" href="javascript:return(false)" id="bsweetReadmoreLink">More ...</a><span class="summary-main" id="bsweetMain"><br /><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="summary-main" id="bsweetMain"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738458291/" title="Filipino-Owned Food Truck, B Sweet Mobile by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Filipino-Owned Food Truck, B Sweet Mobile" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6738458291_630e5273c4.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div><span class="summary-main" id="bsweetMain"><br />B Sweet actually put together a selection of items for me to take home which included a Vegan Carrot Cupcake, Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes, an Angel Baby Cupcake (Vanilla Bean), Red Devil Cupcakes (Red Velvet) and Red Velvet Cake Pops. To those of you who are vegan, there will always be one vegan dessert option for you to choose from.&nbsp; I was only able to try the Red Devil and the Chocolate Ganache Cupcake since everything else and the banana bread were pounced upon by my family and some visiting friends.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738457559/" title="Filipino-Owned Food Truck, B Sweet Mobile by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Filipino-Owned Food Truck, B Sweet Mobile" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/6738457559_b43dfc039b.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />I've never been much of a red velvet fan, but I did like how moist the cupcake was; however, I totally fell in love with the Chocolate Ganache Cupcake, which is one of their specialty cupcakes.&nbsp; The frosting was like a creamy pudding which I thought was awesome and the cupcake itself was moist and made my "chocolate" tooth happy.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738456729/" title="Filipino-Owned Food Truck, B Sweet Mobile by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Filipino-Owned Food Truck, B Sweet Mobile" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7150/6738456729_27a080c8d2.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />Also on the truck was their Cupcake Bar. There's three steps to the Cupcake Bar.&nbsp; 1) Choose your cupcake.&nbsp; 2) Choose your frosting.&nbsp; 3)&nbsp; Choose your toppings.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738458497/" title="Filipino-Owned Food Truck, B Sweet Mobile by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Filipino-Owned Food Truck, B Sweet Mobile" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6738458497_2abc261431.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />The one thing that my 7 year old grand-niece really loved about the truck was that Cupcake Bar. The packaging was such that the toppings were separate, which gives you the chance to add as much or as little as you wanted.&nbsp; I actually picked one up for my 6 year old niece as well and both their cupcakes became mini art projects, which they were quite happy to devour once it was decorated to their taste.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738457025/" title="Filipino-Owned Food Truck, B Sweet Mobile by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Filipino-Owned Food Truck, B Sweet Mobile" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6738457025_ef8cb33aed.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738457255/" title="Filipino-Owned Food Truck, B Sweet Mobile by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Filipino-Owned Food Truck, B Sweet Mobile" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6738457255_0bfd859131.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />When it comes to beverages, you have your choice of picking from the Milk Bar, Tea Bar and Soda Bar.&nbsp; The Milk Bar will offer drinks like soy milk, chocolate milk, regular milk, Yoo-Hoo, etc.&nbsp; If you're into tea, there will be 8 hot teas to pick from.&nbsp; Finally, there's the Soda Bar, which will contain unique sodas like the ones I tried below.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738456543/" title="Filipino-Owned Food Truck, B Sweet Mobile by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Filipino-Owned Food Truck, B Sweet Mobile" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7001/6738456543_c95169f50b.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />Overall,&nbsp; I'm happy to support the B Sweet Mobile Food Truck. However, I would have loved to see one or two Filipino-inspired desserts.&nbsp; It's a missed opportunity to introduce a food from our culture.&nbsp; When I asked about that possibility, I was told that bibingka may make it on the menu, so that's definitely something to look forward to.<br /><br /><b>ADDENDUM:</b>&nbsp; After some tweeting with B Sweet, it looks like there will be Filipino-inspired desserts and/or desserts using Filipino ingredients that will soon show up as specials! :)<br /><br /><b>B Sweet Mobile Food Truck</b><br /><i><a href="http://www.bsweetmobile.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Website</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/BSweetMobile" target="_blank">Twitter</a></i><br /><br /><b>B Sweet Catering</b><br /><i><a href="http://www.mybsweet.com/index.htm" target="_blank">Website</a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/bsweetcateringla" target="_blank">Facebook</a></i><i><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/mybsweet" target="_blank">Twitter</a></i> <a class="summary-link" href="javascript:return(false)" id="bsweetCollapseLink">^</a> </span>pleasurepalatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12440637859807035906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28313024.post-9066307871095558482012-02-28T21:16:00.004-08:002012-03-17T00:33:29.839-07:0033rd Annual Planned Parenthood LA Food Fare 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-prDeu0-VX5o/T2Q-EA7Qc_I/AAAAAAAADH0/i1SLSR2lcUw/s1600/logo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-prDeu0-VX5o/T2Q-EA7Qc_I/AAAAAAAADH0/i1SLSR2lcUw/s320/logo.gif" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>33rd ANNUAL PLANNED PARENTHOOD LOS ANGELES FOOD FARE 2012</b></div><br /><b>WHAT:</b> What began in 1979 with a cooking demonstration by Julia Child, has become the oldest and most celebrated culinary event in Los Angeles. Food Fare 2012 offers guests a unique opportunity to sample the finest food and drink the city has to offer. Food Fare is an opportunity for foodies, Planned Parenthood supporters and the general public to sample the best of L.A., all in one place.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QrnDl3szVYM/T2Q-JTeyWqI/AAAAAAAADH8/5pTS8QKy6uY/s1600/SuzanneGoin144_low_res.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QrnDl3szVYM/T2Q-JTeyWqI/AAAAAAAADH8/5pTS8QKy6uY/s320/SuzanneGoin144_low_res.jpeg" width="320" /></a><b>WHO:</b> Some of the participating Food Fare restaurants for 2011 include: Church and State, A.O.C., Ammo, Angelini Osteria, Drago Central, Clementine, Tavern, and Lucques as well as some of the city’s most popular Food Trucks, including The Border Grill Truck and The Grilled Cheese Truck. This year, we are pleased to announce Suzanne Goin,owner of AOC, Lucques,and Tavern, as Planned Parenthood's Chef of The Year.<br /><br />In addition, designer Velvet by Graham and Spencer has created 3 limited edition tee shirts (available in women’s, men’s, and kid's sizes) that will feature a custom design utilizing the Planned Parenthood slogan, “Love Carefully” and will be sold exclusively at the event. Past celebrity attendees of Food Fare include Cheryl Hines (Curb your Enthusiasm), Evan Handler (Californication), Camryn Manheim, Betsey Brandt (Breaking Bad), Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad), Kate Walsh (Grey's Anatomy) and Blythe Danner.<br /><br /><b>WHERE:</b> Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 1855 Main St. Santa Monica, CA<br /><br /><b>WHEN:</b> Thursday, March 8, 2012. VIP Reception for sponsors is from 5:30 - 6:30<br />Daytime session is from 10:30 am - 2 pm, Evening session is from 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm<br /><br /><i>Advance tickets are $150 for daytime session and $225 for the evening session.</i><br /><br /><b>WHY</b>: Food Fare is the largest fund raising event of the year for Planned Parenthood Los Angeles. Food Fare is produced by the Planned Parenthood Guild, a group of 200 women dedicated to providing financial and volunteer support for Planned Parenthood of Los Angeles(PPLA). Planned Parenthood Los Angeles health centers provide care to over 120,000 men, women ,and teens each year. Over 93% of the care Planned Parenthood provides is preventative, including birth control, cancer screenings, annual exams, and STD testing and treatment.<br /><br />To purchase tickets or for more information, please visit <i><a href="http://www.pplafoodfare.com/">www.pplafoodfare.com</a></i><br /><br /><b><a href="http://pleasurepalate.blogspot.com/2009/03/foodie-fun-and-shopping-at-2009-ppla.html" target="_blank">Click here to check out my blog post on the 2009 Planned Parenthood Food Fare!</a></b><i><br /></i>pleasurepalatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12440637859807035906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28313024.post-42695139788252383072012-02-27T21:21:00.000-08:002012-02-27T21:38:33.895-08:00First Look: The Go Chew Food TruckWith the plethora of food trucks in the Los Angeles area, it's very difficult to keep track of who's coming and going and which truck is new and which truck has said its last good-bye. To be honest, while I used to be an avid food truck follower, these days, I'm back to being a more sit down restaurant kind of gal. So when an email dropped in my in box with the subject header "culinary adventure with a not so ordinary food truck", it didn't interest me at first, but then I actually read it and it did get my attention.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6937098471/" title="Checking out the Go Chew Food Truck by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Checking out the Go Chew Food Truck" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7189/6937098471_91406ea4ac.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />The email was from Food Truck Owner/Chef Charles Slonaker and what I found intriguing was his culinary background.&nbsp; For the last few years, he's been traveling around the world cooking at different fine dining establishments including stints at Noma in Copenhagen and Commerc 24 in Barcelona as well restaurants in the states like Nobu 57 in NYC, Valentino in Las Vegas, and Joule in Seattle.&nbsp; That's a pretty impressive resume, but what threw me off a bit was in Charles' email, he included a menu that seemed very Asian and in fact, Korean-influenced.&nbsp; Considering his cooking background and his last name, I was curious as where this Asian influence came from, so I decided to check Go Chew out. <br /><br><a class="summary-link" id="gochewReadmoreLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='show("gochew")'>More ...</a><span id="gochewMain" class="summary-main"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6937098335/" title="Checking out the Go Chew Food Truck by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Checking out the Go Chew Food Truck" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7050/6937098335_bb6068f313.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Imagine my surprise when I showed up with a friend and it turned out that Charles is actually Korean. He was adopted by non-Korean parents and in fact, his proud mom was there taking pictures.&nbsp; She's the one who told us that Charles took it upon himself when he got older to live in Korea for a year to learn the language, to learn Korean cooking and just in general, to get in touch with his cultural background. How awesome is that! As for the food truck name, "Go Chew" actually refers to the word, "gochu", which is Korean for chili pepper and Go Chew's food focus is on rice bowls and sides.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6937097775/" title="Checking out the Go Chew Food Truck by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Checking out the Go Chew Food Truck" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7047/6937097775_f0731d73b2.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />Now that you've learned a little more about Charles and Go Chew, let's talk about the food, starting with their Fried Chicken Bowl which had a jidori leg and thigh, green onion salsa, pickled daikon, egg yolk and rice. First, the chicken was fried just right with both a crispy skin and tender, moist chicken meat. I liked the tartness of the daikon and the poached egg was a wonderful touch.&nbsp; However, I did have an issue with the rice, which was too mushy and when mixed with the egg yolk, it got even mushier.&nbsp; So that's something that needs to be fixed.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6790979448/" title="Checking out the Go Chew Food Truck by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Checking out the Go Chew Food Truck" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7062/6790979448_6daf0fe732.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Next we tried the Rice Cake Bowl with rice cakes, chili sauce, egg, pork, bean sprouts and sesame seeds. Hands down, this was my favorite.&nbsp; I think the rice cakes were slightly fried, so there was a crispness to their surface that I liked.&nbsp; Also, the chili sauce was so nicely balanced.&nbsp; It was spicy, but not burn your tastebuds spicy and overall, simply delicious.&nbsp; Everything just mixed together so well that every bite was a pleasure for my palate.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6937098171/" title="Checking out the Go Chew Food Truck by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Checking out the Go Chew Food Truck" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7205/6937098171_514a09230e.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Another dish that I really enjoyed was Go Chew's Fried Cauliflower with fried garlic and Chinese chives. Cauliflower on its own is quite bland, but this bowl of veggies was a hit.&nbsp; I have complained about dishes in the past that were supposed to have garlic but didn't taste garlicky enough; however, no complaint here. There was garlic love all the way.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6790979300/" title="Checking out the Go Chew Food Truck by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Checking out the Go Chew Food Truck" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7201/6790979300_3f4814ed99.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Next to last was the Shorty Bowl with short rib, black bean and oyster glaze, shitake mushroom, kimchi, egg and rice.&nbsp; I have to admit that I expected a bit more from this bowl.&nbsp; The overall flavor was good and this rice bowl has potential, but the rice again was a big issue.&nbsp; In fact, it had gotten even mushier since we had the Fried Chicken Bowl earlier.&nbsp; As for the short rib, it was nice and tender, but dry.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6937098009/" title="Checking out the Go Chew Food Truck by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Checking out the Go Chew Food Truck" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7204/6937098009_f7ac0b37e8.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Last, but not least was the Spicy Soup with a pork and chicken broth, tofu, kimchi, egg and shredded pork. The broth was absolutely wonderful.&nbsp; It was initially light and clean; yet, it had a nice spicy kick to it.&nbsp; When the poached egg was broken into and mixed into the soup, then it had an added richness which was really tasty.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6937097841/" title="Checking out the Go Chew Food Truck by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Checking out the Go Chew Food Truck" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7054/6937097841_57cef31177.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Overall, except for a few things that could be fixed very easily, I thought the food coming from the Go Chew truck was really delicious. In fact, it's been awhile since I've enjoyed food from a food truck as much as I did that afternoon.&nbsp; I only have one minor critique.&nbsp; Simply, I would have liked to see more variety in terms of the dishes.&nbsp; Specifically, I'd love to see food with inspiration coming from some of the restaurants that Charles has worked at. Maybe, that's what's coming next.<br /><br /><b>Go Chew Food Truck</b><br /><a href="http://www.gochewinc.com/" target="_blank"><i>Website </i></a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/gochewinc" target="_blank"><i>Twitter</i></a><a class="summary-link" id="gochewCollapseLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='hide("gochew")'>^</a> </span>pleasurepalatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12440637859807035906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28313024.post-60238149808527899752012-02-24T21:45:00.000-08:002012-03-04T13:37:37.872-08:00The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer: Filipino Pork and Beer Pairing<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6724041743/" title="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6724041743_bb06e127c9.jpg" width="375" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Last September, I was proud to be part of a delicious Filipino culinary event called "The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer", and it was geared towards beer pairings with Filipino pork dishes.&nbsp; It was hosted by myself and fellow Filipino food bloggers, Karena and Haydee of the <a href="http://pigpartsandbeer.wordpress.com/">Pig Parts and Beer Blog</a>.&nbsp; What was really cool about this event was that it was a Filipino food trifecta.&nbsp; In one corner were a trio of Filipino Food bloggers.&nbsp; Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of the three of us, but here's a picture of 3 of the 5 beers used in the pairings and the San Miguel is actually a popular Filipino beer.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a class="summary-link" href="javascript:return(false)" id="pigbeerReadmoreLink">More ...</a><span class="summary-main" id="pigbeerMain"></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="summary-main" id="pigbeerMain"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6724040477/" title="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7006/6724040477_b9b9a45bdf.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div><span class="summary-main" id="pigbeerMain"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In another corner was the delicious food from the Filipino food truck, Neri's Curbside Cravings.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6724041299/" title="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6724041299_5256ef6692.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Finally, two of the beers for this event came from Filipino-owned Eagle Rock Brewery.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6724040571/" title="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7028/6724040571_2884b50457.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It all came together for a delicious evening starting with our first pairing which consisted of a Lumpia Shanghai (fried spring roll filled with minced pork, carrot, onion and egg with sweet chili dipping sauce) <i>paired</i> with a San Miguerita (San Miguel beer, tequila, calamansi juice, salt and lime). The crunchy porky goodness of the lumpia was a nice foil for this refreshing beer cocktail.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6724039963/" title="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6724039963_0ee3d60e89.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6724040927/" title="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6724040927_54f9b691b6.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6724040299/" title="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/6724040299_0714707f05.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Next was the Sisig (pork sizzled with chiles, ginger, garlic, vinegar and calamansi) <i>paired</i> with an Anchor Small Beer, which you can see below as well as a photo of the Curbside Cravings Crew. I'm not much of a beer expert, but I think I tasted citrusy notes that went well with the tart-sour-spicy flavors of the Sisig dish.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6724039729/" title="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6724039729_cec49b00e7.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6724039817/" title="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6724039817_4724f14c04.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6724039577/" title="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6724039577_9d7d8b7cda.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Our third pairing was all about the Mini Tocino Burger (house-cured pork in sugar and anise wine with pickled garnishes in a pan de sal roll) <i>paired</i> with Eagle Rock Brewery Revolution XPA.&nbsp; Given the richness and strong sweetness of the tocino, the slight bitterness of this beer was a good counter balance.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6724039117/" title="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6724039117_8b225e09e5.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6724039013/" title="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6724039013_b6005be88b.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6724038911/" title="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6724038911_252c262c60.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The last savory pairing of the night was the Crispy Pork Adobo (diced pork cooked in vinegar, bay leaf, black pepper, garlic, soy sauce and pineapple juice then deep-fried) <i>paired</i> with Cable Car Small Batch Amber Ale. This was actually my favorite duo of the night. First, who can say "No" to deep-fried pork. I know I can't.&nbsp; As for the beer, I can't remember anything distinct about it. I just remember that the beer and this pork complemented each other exceptionally well.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6724038575/" title="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7001/6724038575_9f6b565fd4.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The evening ended with the Macapuno Manifesto Beer Float, which was sweetened young coconut ice cream with Eagle Rock Brewery's signature white ale, Manifesto.&nbsp; As an ice cream lover, this was the perfect way to finish up this evening of pig parts and beer.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6724038377/" title="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6724038377_6f7d3f9d43.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Overall, this was definitely a fun time and I really have to give credit where credit is due.&nbsp; While the Pig Parts and Beer ladies and I came up with the idea for this event, they really did all the heavy duty party planning. I just had to help spread the word and show up.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In the end, the goal of Karena and Haydee is to help showcase Filipino food whether it's through their blog or setting up events highlighting Filipino food and Filipinos who are in the food business.&nbsp; I'd say that "The Pleasure of Pig Parts and Beer" was definitely a great start and I look forward to seeing what they come up with next.&nbsp; So if you want to stay in the know, be sure to visit their contact links below and you can also see the pertinent links for Neri's Curbside Cravings and Eagle Rock Brewery.</div><br /><b>Pig Parts and Beer</b><br /><a href="http://pigpartsandbeer.wordpress.com/">Blog</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/pigpartsandbeer">Twitter</a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pig-Parts-and-Beer/251360044908657">Facebook</a><br /><br /><b>Neri's Curbside Craving</b><br /><a href="http://www.curbsidecraving.com/site/">Website</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/curbsidecraving">Twitter</a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Neris-Curbside-Cravings/173425819368065">Facebook </a><br /><br /><b>Eagle Rock Brewery</b><br /><a href="http://eaglerockbrewery.com/">Website</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/eaglerockbrew">Twitter</a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Eagle-Rock-Brewery/296047303907">Facebook</a><a class="summary-link" href="javascript:return(false)" id="pigbeerCollapseLink&quot;">^</a> </span>pleasurepalatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12440637859807035906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28313024.post-75992582180700146252012-01-23T18:55:00.000-08:002012-01-23T19:00:24.995-08:00The Jokbal Was No Joke at Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6723648983/" title="Dinner at Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Dinner at Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7005/6723648983_ef3c4f848c.jpg" width="500" /></a>&nbsp;</div><br />When it comes to planning where I'm going to take my dining group, <a href="http://www.meetup.com/pleasurepalate"><i>Pleasure Palate</i></a>, my bookmarks are chock full of links to dining possibilities.&nbsp; Once or twice a week, I take a look and ask myself, "Which restaurant&nbsp; is worth a visit in the next few weeks?"&nbsp; When I make my decision, the meal pops up on <i><a href="http://www.meetup.com/pleasurepalate/events/calendar/">the dining calendar</a></i>.&nbsp; After re-reading <a href="http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-find-jokbal-20110421,0,523126.story"><i>an LA Times article about a Koreantown restaurant called Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal</i></a>, I knew this is where I wanted to go.<br /><br />So what exactly is Jokbal? Basically, it's a braised pork foot and shank and apparently, one restaurant serves the best version.&nbsp; Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal is a satellite of a renowned braised pork foot specialty restaurant in Seoul.&nbsp; Several years ago, the owner of the Seoul restaurant came to Los Angeles, bringing with her a sample of the braising liquid she uses. She proceeded to train her nephew-in-law on how to make jokbal properly. With that knowledge, Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal came to be.<br /><br />Now that you have a little background, let's talk about the food.&nbsp; As is standard in many Korean restaurants, the meal starts with an array of panchan. The panchan was just okay, nothing to write home about.&nbsp; Along with the panchan also came dipping sauces, lettuce, jalapeno and raw garlic for the jokbal itself.<br /><br /><a class="summary-link" id="jokbalReadmoreLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='show("jokbal")'>More ...</a><span id="jokbalMain" class="summary-main"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6723648791/" title="Dinner at Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Dinner at Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7003/6723648791_a86ef0a3c9.jpg" width="500" />&nbsp;</a><br />&nbsp; <br /><div style="text-align: left;">After noshing on the panchan for awhile, the jokbal arrived in all its glory.&nbsp; Its presentation almost reminded me of flower petals because of the way the meat was sliced and fanned out.</div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6723648141/" title="Dinner at Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Dinner at Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7160/6723648141_3e0db4d60c.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6723648323/" title="Dinner at Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Dinner at Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6723648323_3546fec701.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The jokbal could be dipped in the sauces and eaten on their own.&nbsp; Another alternative is for the jokbal to be wrapped in lettuce along with the raw garlic, a jalapeno with a dollop of the sauce.&nbsp; I did it both ways and both ways were delicious.&nbsp; The pork was tender and I loved how the ribbons of fat around the pork slices had a soft, gelatinous texture. There was a definite soy sauce flavor that I tasted as well as a bit of sweetness that may have come from some type of sugar. Other than that, I don't know what other braising ingredients were used, but it simply didn't matter because this jokbal was amazing.</div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6723647997/" title="Dinner at Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Dinner at Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6723647997_9728ecba70.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6723647855/" title="Dinner at Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Dinner at Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6723647855_3733678347.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Not so amazing and unfortunately, not very good were the other dishes we ordered along with the Jokbal, which included Pan Fried Squid and Pan Fried Spicy Pork Hock.&nbsp; The squid was way too chewy and the pork fried pork hock was overcooked.&nbsp; Also, not only did both dishes look alike, the sauces they were cooked in tasted the same.&nbsp; Unfortunately, the Pan Fried Spicy Pork Hock wasn't spicy at all, which made it even more difficult to differentiate it from the Pan Fried Squid.</div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6723647583/" title="Dinner at Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Dinner at Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6723647583_d5f2b6a79e.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6723647443/" title="Dinner at Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Dinner at Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6723647443_75f1556099.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Another disappointment was their Seafood Pancake. It looked promising when it came out, thick and hearty. I liked that the pancake's surface was nicely browned, but I think the seafood must have been invisible, because there was little to none to be seen or eaten.&nbsp; There was a little bit of shrimp, but not enough to really merit calling this dish a Seafood Pancake.</div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6723647099/" title="Dinner at Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Dinner at Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6723647099_0304914382.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6723646949/" title="Dinner at Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Dinner at Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6723646949_56e0e1d660.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The only dish other than the jokbal that tasted really good was their Buckwheat Yam Noodles with vegetables and topped with a chili sauce.&nbsp; The noodles had a nice chewy texture and the chili sauce brought the heat that the Pan Fried Spicy Pork Hock was missing.</div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6723646789/" title="Dinner at Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Dinner at Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal" height="351" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7161/6723646789_e87cf0b743.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Suffice to say, the jokbal is truly the star of this restaurant. While you certainly can order other things from the menu, if all you had was the jokbal, that would be enough to make this meal one of the best you've ever had.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Jangchung-Dong Wong Jokbal </div><div style="text-align: left;">425 S. Western Avenue</div><div style="text-align: left;">Suite E</div><div style="text-align: left;">Los Angeles, CA 90020</div><div style="text-align: left;">(213) 386-3535</div></div><a class="summary-link" id="jokbalCollapseLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='hide("jokbal")'>^</a> </span>pleasurepalatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12440637859807035906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28313024.post-2568383647568240832012-01-22T14:50:00.000-08:002012-01-22T14:54:49.561-08:00Seoul Soiree at the Seoul Sausage Company Fan Appreciation Party<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738612421/" title="Seoul Sausage Appreciation Day by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Seoul Sausage Appreciation Day" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7017/6738612421_c355d5fac1.jpg" width="500" /></a>&nbsp;</div><br />Ever since I saw a tweet by <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/EmpressEricka">@EmpressEricka</a> who commented about having a Soul Soiree while eating homemade coffee ice cream, the words "Soul Soiree" stuck in my head and I knew I wanted to use it somewhere, but with a twist. So behold my post about the Seoul Soiree at the Seoul Sausage Company Fan Appreciation Party that I attended a few months back.<br /><a class="summary-link" id="seoulsausageReadmoreLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='show("seoulsausage")'>More ...</a><span id="seoulsausageMain" class="summary-main"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738612253/" title="Seoul Sausage Appreciation Day by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Seoul Sausage Appreciation Day" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7160/6738612253_e9bdc26564.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">If you haven't heard of Seoul Sausage Company before and you are a lover of Korean food and sausage, than this is one young company you should get to know really fast. They take their sausage seriously.&nbsp; Check out the shirt that one of the owners is wearing below to see what I mean.</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738611771/" title="Seoul Sausage Appreciation Day by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Seoul Sausage Appreciation Day" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7153/6738611771_5035057095.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">What's unique about their sausages is that they are inspired by Korean flavors.&nbsp; Currently, they have two sausages to choose from.&nbsp; One is their Spicy Pork Sausage and the other is their Kalbi Sausage and both were on the menu for this party.&nbsp; We were also asked to vote for which was our favorite.&nbsp; Team Beef vs. Team Pork. Read on to see which team I batted for, although if you're a regular reader of my blog, you may already know the answer.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738611535/" title="Seoul Sausage Appreciation Day by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Seoul Sausage Appreciation Day" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7174/6738611535_b3c79c72e0.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">As the sausages were being grilled, the smell was so delicious, it made me giddy with meat joy and anticipation.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738611099/" title="Seoul Sausage Appreciation Day by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Seoul Sausage Appreciation Day" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7161/6738611099_51bcb56a38.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738610927/" title="Seoul Sausage Appreciation Day by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Seoul Sausage Appreciation Day" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6738610927_df5b13b8d8.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Pork lover that I am, I went for the Spicy Pork Sausage first. Their pork sausage is flavored with traditional Korean spices served on a bun with apple cabbage slaw and I have to tell you this sausage was substantial in size.&nbsp; My first bite was heaven. This may sound a bit corny, but I actually thought I heard angels sing. The sausage was juicy, packed with flavor and definitely had a big kick of heat and spice.&nbsp; Just a take a look at my picture to see what I mean by this sausage being blessed with a lot of meaty juices. I don't necessarily eat sausages very often, but this was one of the best I've ever had.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738610607/" title="Seoul Sausage Appreciation Day by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Seoul Sausage Appreciation Day" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6738610607_bb55a2efc7.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738610201/" title="Seoul Sausage Appreciation Day by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Seoul Sausage Appreciation Day" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7150/6738610201_6ab169b0b7.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Second to the plate was their Kalbi Sausage made with 100% beef kalbi and it was served with kimchi sauerkraut and garlic jalapeno aioli.&nbsp; While more subtle in flavor than its fiery counterpart, the Kalbi Sausage was also filled with meaty juices and was also quite delicious.</div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738609965/" title="Seoul Sausage Appreciation Day by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Seoul Sausage Appreciation Day" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6738609965_14c2efd270.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6738609705/" title="Seoul Sausage Appreciation Day by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Seoul Sausage Appreciation Day" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7001/6738609705_29f1bd9da7.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Before that day, I've never had Seoul Sausages before, but now that I have, I'm a big fan. I know I did a play on words when I talked about my "Seoul Soiree", but eating those sausages was really like having a "Soul Soiree".There are those foods that you eat to survive, but there are foods that you eat to feed your soul. When it comes to the sausages from the Seoul Sausage Company, they are definitely soul-satisfying.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Do you want to check out the Seoul Sausage Company for yourself? Right now, you can catch them at various events and festivals around town.&nbsp; They are also available for catering.Check out all their contact information below.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Seoul Sausage Company</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><a href="http://seoulsausage.tumblr.com/"><i>Website</i></a><br /><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/SeoulSausage"><i>Facebook</i></a><br /><i><a href="http://twitter.com/seoulsausage"><i>Twitter</i></a></i></i></i></div></div></div><a class="summary-link" id="seoulsausageCollapseLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='hide("seoulsausage")'>^</a> </span>pleasurepalatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12440637859807035906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28313024.post-13267398689717125102012-01-17T18:53:00.000-08:002012-01-17T19:15:34.042-08:00Gourmet Cotton Candy from Tasty Clouds<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6252443998/" title="Cotton Candy Tasting with Tasty Clouds Candy Company by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Cotton Candy Tasting with Tasty Clouds Candy Company" height="368" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6225/6252443998_2970a7c4d3.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />When it comes to cotton candy, I'm a fan.&nbsp; So whether at an amusement park, a fair, a sporting event, you're bound to see me manhandling my way through a big pink or blue ball of fluffy and puffy goodness. Whenever I thought about what cotton candy tasted like, all I could say was that it tasted like cotton candy.&nbsp; I didn't think there was much else to it until I found out about a company called Tasty Clouds.<br /><br />Tasty Clouds is a gourmet cotton candy company founded by Nina Rodecker, who was born in the Philippines.&nbsp; Her company was inspired by "LIHI" (lee-Hee), a Filipino term for "pregnancy craving".&nbsp; When Nina was pregnant, her main craving was cotton candy, but not just cotton candy that you can pick up from the store, but fresh cotton candy.&nbsp; So she actually picked up a cotton candy machine and started creating her own recipes.&nbsp; From there, Tasty Clouds was born and along with that came some unique cotton candy flavors.&nbsp; <br /><br />Wanting to experience this gourmet cotton candy for myself, I set up a cotton candy tasting for my dining group, <a href="http://www.meetup.com/pleasurepalate/"><i>Pleasure Palate</i></a>.When we arrived, we were greeted by Nina and she gave us a quick run down on how cotton candy is made.<br /><a class="summary-link" id="tastycloudsReadmoreLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='show("tastyclouds")'>More ...</a><span id="tastycloudsMain" class="summary-main"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6252440370/" title="Cotton Candy Tasting with Tasty Clouds Candy Company by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Cotton Candy Tasting with Tasty Clouds Candy Company" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6043/6252440370_7882816a82.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Basically, cotton candy is made from sugar and in this case, Nina has developed flavored sugar crystals. The sugar is poured into an electric heating element at the base of a funnel-shaped dish and melted.</div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6252441634/" title="Cotton Candy Tasting with Tasty Clouds Candy Company by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Cotton Candy Tasting with Tasty Clouds Candy Company" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6172/6252441634_edabbbbedd.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Then the machine rapidly rotates and in the process, that sugar syrup is flung through the tiny holes in the funnel using centrifugal force. The outer bowl caught the threads as they cooled.</div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6251914293/" title="Cotton Candy Tasting with Tasty Clouds Candy Company by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Cotton Candy Tasting with Tasty Clouds Candy Company" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6164/6251914293_9c03fe3bf4.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6251913685/" title="Cotton Candy Tasting with Tasty Clouds Candy Company by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Cotton Candy Tasting with Tasty Clouds Candy Company" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6034/6251913685_f76fbb01e7.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6252442238/" title="Cotton Candy Tasting with Tasty Clouds Candy Company by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Cotton Candy Tasting with Tasty Clouds Candy Company" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6032/6252442238_f39bd55568.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The final product was fine and fluffy and ready to eat.&nbsp; Originally, it was referred to as "fairy floss".&nbsp; The name "cotton candy" didn't actually become popular until the 1920s.&nbsp; A rose by any other name is still pretty darn good cotton candy and Tasty Clouds is a wonderful description of what Nina's cotton candy was like.</div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6252442034/" title="Cotton Candy Tasting with Tasty Clouds Candy Company by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Cotton Candy Tasting with Tasty Clouds Candy Company" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6158/6252442034_81ceaa7dcc.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">We tried a variety of flavors and as you can see below, everyone was enjoying their fluffy, puffy treat. Traditional flavors we sampled included their True Blue and Pretty in Pink.&nbsp; However, we also got to try Apple Verde, Wild Watermelon, Lima Lime and their Banana Cadabra. The Apple Verde actually reminded me of a Jolly Rancher.</div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6251912317/" title="Cotton Candy Tasting with Tasty Clouds Candy Company by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Cotton Candy Tasting with Tasty Clouds Candy Company" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6178/6251912317_f3b9be85f8.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6252440664/" title="Cotton Candy Tasting with Tasty Clouds Candy Company by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Cotton Candy Tasting with Tasty Clouds Candy Company" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6159/6252440664_be897c64cd.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6251910427/" title="Cotton Candy Tasting with Tasty Clouds Candy Company by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Cotton Candy Tasting with Tasty Clouds Candy Company" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6120/6251910427_8cb9b67a07.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Nina will also create custom flavors.&nbsp; Some of which she talks about in the video below.</div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eZREfYcRcG4?rel=0" width="560"></iframe><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The sky's almost the limit when it comes the variety of flavors that can be created. In fact, I asked Nina if she could come up a Filipino-inspired flavor and she countered with a calamansi cotton candy which she sent to me at a later date to try.&nbsp; I definitely tasted the sweet-sour-tart flavors of the calamansi and even my Mom gave the calamansi cotton candy a thumbs up.&nbsp; Nina even included a bonus tub of strawberry-jalapeno cotton candy which I loved.&nbsp; The sweet and spicy duet of flavors was a wonderful kick to my palate.</div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6252008351/" title="Cotton Candy from Tasty Clouds Candy Company by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Cotton Candy from Tasty Clouds Candy Company" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6159/6252008351_8459bedb23.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Just this year, Nina even developed a new Filipino flavor in the form of Philippine mango which was a big hit at the Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture which is where it debuted.</div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6148710635/" title="Filipino Food at Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Filipino Food at Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6195/6148710635_9c6a1735e0.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6148710037/" title="Filipino Food at Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Filipino Food at Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6172/6148710037_def2a618dc.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Want to know some fun cotton candy facts?</div><ul><li style="text-align: left;">A normal serving of cotton candy (about 1 oz.) has approximately 26 grams of carbs, about 100 calories, not salt and no fat.</li><li style="text-align: left;">One serving contains less sugar than a can of soda.</li><li style="text-align: left;">National Cotton Candy Day is celebrated on December 7. </li></ul><ul></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6251914963/" title="Cotton Candy Tasting with Tasty Clouds Candy Company by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Cotton Candy Tasting with Tasty Clouds Candy Company" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6051/6251914963_f6a435570d.jpg" width="375" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Do you want to try Tasty Clouds Cotton Candy for yourself? You can visit the Tasty Clouds Showroom location or order their products online.&nbsp; Just click the website links below to get more information.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Tasty Clouds</div><div style="text-align: left;">12325 Santa Monica Boulevard.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Los Angeles, CA 90025</div><div style="text-align: left;">310-990-2435</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://tastyclouds.com/#/home"><i>Website</i></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/TastyClouds"><i>Facebook</i></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/tastyclouds"><i>Twitter</i></a></div></div><a class="summary-link" id="tastycloudsCollapseLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='hide("tastyclouds")'>^</a> </span>pleasurepalatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12440637859807035906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28313024.post-60080365623473144002012-01-11T11:00:00.000-08:002012-01-17T19:11:10.848-08:00A Non-Coffee Drinker's New Coffee Addiction Can Be Found at Dripp<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509229765/" title="Media Event at Dripp by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Event at Dripp" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7163/6509229765_e4d0dd8252.jpg" width="375" /></a>&nbsp;</div><br />In truth, I'm not much of a coffee person. Tea, yes. Hot chocolate, yes. Coffee, not so much. So when I got an invitation to attend a Media Event a Dripp, a new coffeehouse in Chino Hills, I wasn't sure at first that I wanted to go. However, my +1, who was my coffee loving niece finally sealed the deal, so off we went. At our arrival, I noticed there was a nice outdoor patio.<br /><a class="summary-link" id="drippcoffeeReadmoreLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='show("drippcoffeeo")'>More ...</a><span id="drippcoffeeMain" class="summary-main"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509229675/" title="Media Event at Dripp by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Event at Dripp" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7009/6509229675_feb9bd3245.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />Inside, there was a showcase wall featuring old-fashioned coffee grinders from the 1800's that owner, Rabih Sater, has collected over the years.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509229577/" title="Media Event at Dripp by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Event at Dripp" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6509229577_562d4f023c.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509229457/" title="Media Event at Dripp by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Event at Dripp" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6509229457_382b9c3dab.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />There was also a second floor that allowed you to peek down at the action below.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509229091/" title="Media Event at Dripp by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Event at Dripp" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7150/6509229091_8d7b5e345c.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509228851/" title="Media Event at Dripp by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Event at Dripp" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6509228851_558081557b.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509228715/" title="Media Event at Dripp by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Event at Dripp" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6509228715_411c0b4288.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Back downstairs is the Cream Bar, where you can find both a cookie and ice cream display. Eat separately or create your own Ice Cream Sandwich with your choice of 2 cookies and ice cream.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509228443/" title="Media Event at Dripp by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Event at Dripp" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6509228443_25f573c7b9.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509228139/" title="Media Event at Dripp by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Event at Dripp" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6509228139_b1844aa3cf.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Need to catch up with what's happening in the world? Then take a seat in front of one of the iPads positioned around Dripp where you will have access to various news websites as well as well as the Dripp menu, if you still haven't decided what to order.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509227883/" title="Media Event at Dripp by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Event at Dripp" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7005/6509227883_29b388295a.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />In the end, what Dripp is really all about is their coffee and the majority of their coffee comes from Intelligentsia and Espresso Republic.&nbsp; At the Dripp Bar, coffee is prepared two different ways, iced or hot. Their cold coffee is prepared using Japanese Oji Coffee Drippers, which had to be exported from Japan.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509227769/" title="Media Event at Dripp by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Event at Dripp" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6509227769_111132090c.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509227659/" title="Media Event at Dripp by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Event at Dripp" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6509227659_181dc486c5.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />What's unique about this machine is that the coffee it makes is so concentrated that it takes 8 to 10 hours to brew, approximately 42 drips per minute. This process literally removes all the acidity and bitterness in the coffee and what you're left with is a drink that is smooth, sweet and dark with an almost maple syrup consistency.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509227513/" title="Media Event at Dripp by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Event at Dripp" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6509227513_ce6e34e6e6.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509227411/" title="Media Event at Dripp by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Event at Dripp" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6509227411_d489befdbf.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />What I found amazing about this iced coffee drink was that I was able to drink it without adding sugar or cream, which on the off times I want coffee, I absolutely have to have both.&nbsp; In fact, I have found myself a big fan of this Japanese Oji Iced Coffee.&nbsp; I don't really make my out to Chino Hills, but anytime my niece goes out that way for school, she always knows to bring me one of those iced coffees back (or she'll never hear the end of it).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509227313/" title="Media Event at Dripp by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Event at Dripp" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6509227313_8122367c7a.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />When it comes to their hot coffee, each one is ground and dripped to order. First, you choose from 4 to 5 coffee beans that are available that day, then the beans are ground just for your specific coffee. Afterwards, the coffee is placed in a Hario V60 pourover cone.&nbsp; Hot water is added and slowly drips from the cone into the coffee cup below. From start to finish, the process takes 3 to 5 minutes.&nbsp; Take a look a the photos below to see how it works.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509227277/" title="Media Event at Dripp by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Event at Dripp" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6509227277_7f4d768ac1.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509227159/" title="Media Event at Dripp by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Event at Dripp" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6509227159_7432178d8f.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509226929/" title="Media Event at Dripp by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Event at Dripp" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6509226929_b180f1361d.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509226807/" title="Media Event at Dripp by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Event at Dripp" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6509226807_57171f83a7.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509226615/" title="Media Event at Dripp by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Event at Dripp" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6509226615_7e8b703d6b.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />Just like the iced coffee, what you get is a coffee that is also really smooth. While not as sweet as the Japanese Oji Iced Coffee, this particular coffee, which is their Celebration blend, still didn't need the addition of any sugar.&nbsp; As I said, I'm rarely a coffee drinker and taking my coffee black would normally be out of the question, but not in this scenario.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509226379/" title="Media Event at Dripp by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Event at Dripp" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6509226379_1f7549c90e.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />At the Steam Bar, there's also a large Strada machine to take care of the espresso drinkers. One espresso drink that you might want to check out is their Dolci Fini, which is a drink layered with espresso, heavy cream and topped with vanilla syrup in a sugar rimmed flute shot glass. Drink it as is to savor each layer or mix it all up.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509228597/" title="Media Event at Dripp by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Event at Dripp" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6509228597_1432c61974.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509225817/" title="Media Event at Dripp by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Event at Dripp" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6509225817_e8cf8e5241.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />What's also unique to Dripp is their Turkish Coffee, which was developed by owner, Rabih Sater. It took 6 months and a lot of caffeine, but finally, he found a blend that satisfied him.&nbsp; The Turkish coffee is made from a special blend of Espresso Republic beans, specifically from Ethiopia.&nbsp; He felt that the chocolate and tart-fruity flavors of those beans would be a perfect complement to the cardamom, a spice that is also included in the blend.<br /><br />I'm a big cardamom fan, so I definitely wanted to try their Bozo, which was a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream topped with a shot of their hot Turkish Coffee. This was a total home run. I just love that the Turkish Coffee has such a fine grind that some of the grounds are even on the ice cream. If it was possible, I'd ask my niece to bring me both a Japanese Oji Ice Coffee and a Bozo every time she happened to stop by at Dripp.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509225609/" title="Media Event at Dripp by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Event at Dripp" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7150/6509225609_9c4972562a.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />If coffee is not your thing, you can also get a Hot Chocolate with a Toasted Marshmallow Skewer like the one below or choose rom an assortment of teas and other drinks and with pastries coming from&nbsp; Bread Bar, I'd definitely say that there's something for everyone.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509226167/" title="Media Event at Dripp by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Event at Dripp" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6509226167_e6e1d0207e.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />So if you happen to be in Chino Hills, stop by Dripp for some awesome coffee and if you are at all inclined to pick up a Japanese Oji Ice Coffee and drop it off my house on your way home, I wouldn't mind that all.<br /><br />P.S. Hey Dripp, I know that the Chino Hills is your flagship store, but I'd love it if you could open a store closer to me, that way, my niece can stop going broke bringing me back coffee.&nbsp; How about a Pasadena location?&nbsp; :)<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.dripp.com/"><i>Dripp</i></a></b><br />13855 City Center Dr<br />Ste 3015<br />Chino Hills, CA 91709<br />(909) 628-6384<br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/dripp"><i>Facebook </i></a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/dripp"><i>Twitter</i></a><a class="summary-link" id="drippcoffeeCollapseLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='hide("drippcoffee")'>^</a> </span>pleasurepalatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12440637859807035906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28313024.post-63029726030844310852012-01-08T11:00:00.000-08:002012-01-08T11:44:08.116-08:00Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge<br />When I think of&nbsp; what constitutes as a "bizarre food",&nbsp; it's not so much that I think particular foods are inherently bizarre by definition.&nbsp; It's more like there are foods out there that I can't fathom myself wanting to eat. Wanting to expand my culinary horizon, I decided to take on the <a href="http://www.sixtaste.com/specialtytours.php">Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge</a>. Six Taste is a Los Angeles food tour company and you can read about a couple of other tours I've been on with them <a href="http://pleasurepalate.blogspot.com/2011/01/giveaway-six-taste-food-tours.html"><i>here</i></a> and <a href="http://pleasurepalate.blogspot.com/2011/08/six-taste-new-chinatown-tour.html"><i>here</i></a>. As for their Bizarre Food Challenge, it's a tour that you have to set up with them as a private tour. It takes place in the city of San Gabriel and the focus is on "bizarre" Chinese delicacies.<br /><br />Our first bizarre bite of the day was from a Century Egg. The sheer blackness of the egg looked a bit daunting in the bright morning light, but it was a pretty background surrounding the striations of the yolk, which&nbsp; looked like agate. Century Eggs are duck, chicken or quail eggs that are preserved in a mixture of clay, ash, quicklime, salt and rice hulls for several weeks to several months. They can be eaten on their own, but are usually eaten with something else like chilled tofu or mixed in a rice congee.<br /><br />I think this is one food I would have liked to eat with something else.&nbsp; By itself, the strong ammonia smell was off putting. When I finished eating the egg, there was a lingering sulpher taste that lingered on my palate that even a few swigs of water couldn't seem to drive away. Suffice to say, this is one egg I'm happy to avoid in the future.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6508977485/" title="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6508977485_5aed6d47bb.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Afterwards, we walked over to Aji Ichiban, which our guide referred to as a Taiwanese-Japanese Branded-Chinese Snack Shop. Got that? I actually had to write that down so I could remember.&nbsp; Inside, you'll find a variety of dried goods like dried fruit and vegetables.&nbsp; You'll also find dried seafood, jerky and other types of snacks as well as candy. In fact, they even sell durian candy and of course, I got some to take home.<br /><a class="summary-link" id="bizfoodReadmoreLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='show("bizfood")'>More ...</a><span id="bizfoodMain" class="summary-main"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6508977249/" title="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6508977249_783da23a8e.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6508976871/" title="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7020/6508976871_25bd8b91b2.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6508977091/" title="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7168/6508977091_d09268a160.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />This is where we dug into fried mini crabs. What was bizarre was that I had no problem munching on them; yet, when I've had fried whole smelts (which are small fish), I always cut the head off before eating the rest of the body. But then there are others who will only have fish fillets because eating from a whole fish would be too foreign. People definitely do have interesting food do's and don'ts. Me included.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6508976687/" title="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7160/6508976687_378e31eb11.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6508976565/" title="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/6508976565_ae3b022bf2.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6508976505/" title="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6508976505_ae7e504ce5.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Right next door was our next stop at 101 Hot Pot Cafe. This restaurant shares its name with another 101 Hot Pot Cafe that is located in the Taipei 101 Mall, which is the second tallest building in South East Asia. Here we sampled three dishes.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6508976389/" title="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7035/6508976389_ec2cbd077f.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />First up was a Steamed Stinky Tofu. Stinky tofu is basically tofu that is preserved for a several months in a brine made up of fermented milk, vegetables, meat and possibly other ingredients. I was a little worried about eating this because I had fried stinky tofu a couple of weeks ago at another restaurant and found the taste to be too pungent and a little too "rotten tasting" for my palate.&nbsp; However, it was total night and day with this plate of steamed tofu. It definitely had a distinct taste, but one that I liked. Apparently, not all stinky tofu is created equal.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6508976043/" title="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6508976043_cdc9dcef29.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Our next dish was a plate of Steamed Pork Intestines.&nbsp; I had to think about it for awhile before reaching with my chopsticks to snag one, especially since many of us knows what goes through the intestines.&nbsp; It was actually pretty tasty with a chewy texture and I liked it even more when eaten with chili.&nbsp; Our guide did pass on an important bit of information though when it comes to eating intestines. When you pick up an intestine, make sure the center is completely hollowed out.&nbsp; If you see anything hanging around or blocking any part of the middle of that intestine, it may not have been cleaned enough; therefore, it's possibly unsafe to eat.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6508975583/" title="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/6508975583_ffe2e1aa4f.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Last was a bowl of soup that our guide referred to as a good hangover soup.&nbsp; Ingredients included more pork intestines as well as pork blood cubes.&nbsp; I've never been a blood fan when it comes to my food. I just find the taste to be really minerally plus I have to admit to a slight repulsion to eating "blood" foods in general. I did have a little of that blood cube with a spoonful of soup and that was enough for me.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6508975823/" title="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6508975823_98bd1c08f8.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Our next stop was upstairs at Tasty Village. By the way, I may have forgotten to mention that the majority of our tour took place at Focus Plaza, which is home to 99 Ranch Market, restaurants and other businesses. Here we shared a plate of jellyfish. I've actually had jellyfish before and just like then, I enjoyed its cool and crunchy texture.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6508975453/" title="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6508975453_e8d113c018.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6508975347/" title="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6508975347_c652fc779d.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />After we enjoyed the jellyfish, we walked next door to Ay Chung Noodle House, which is a US outpost of the same restaurant that exists in Taiwan.&nbsp; However, in Taiwan, Ay Chung Noodle House is literally a hole in the wall night market stand with no seating and no trashcan.&nbsp; Customers eat standing up out of bowls which they then return to the restaurant when they're done.&nbsp; There they only serve a couple of items. Chung is also the last name of the family that runs these restaurants.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6508975245/" title="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/6508975245_759aa89481.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />While the San Gabriel location has a bigger menu then their Taiwan counterpart, what they are known for are their rice noodle soups and stinky tofu.&nbsp; The first thing we had was their Small Intestine Rice Noodle Soup made with soy sauce, garlic, a Taiwanese-style vermicelli noodle and thickened with cornstarch. I enjoyed the flavor of the soup, was fine with the intestines, but the soup just had too much of a thick and gloopy texture that I didn't care for.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6508975129/" title="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge" height="367" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6508975129_e36ed4c1f2.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />As for the Fried Stinky Tofu, I also really enjoyed it. Like the steamed version I had earlier, it also had a distinct flavor to it that wasn't unappealing.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6508975019/" title="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7153/6508975019_48c4177085.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />From Ay Chung Noodle House, we took a walk away from Focus Plaza to Nature Pagoda.&nbsp; The owner of this restaurant also owns a Chinese Medicine Shop at Focus Plaza so some of the foods at Nature's Pagoda are made from various Chinese herbs. Our stop here started innocently with a plate of vegetable dumplings.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6508974889/" title="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6508974889_8c0356cb02.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6508974785/" title="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7024/6508974785_dde35cc05a.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Then that plate was joined by two different soups. The first soup was Turtle Soup with a Chinese herb broth that included ginseng and goji berries.&nbsp; This was the first time I've ever had turtle soup.&nbsp; The turtle pieces looked like little beef spareribs and also tasted beef-y to me, but others in the tour thought that the turtle tasted more like duck.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6508974677/" title="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6508974677_d8c5f6b6fb.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6508974563/" title="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7002/6508974563_4ee0ed304f.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />I almost wish that we stopped with the turtle soup because the next soup was definitely a hard mountain to climb for me and for the majority of my group. Before our guide told us what was actually in the soup, he talked about traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine.&nbsp; One of the premises is the belief that whatever organ you eat can replenish a similar or same organ in your body.&nbsp; For example, if you're having liver problems, you'd eat liver.&nbsp; He also mentioned how eating black sesame seeds is thought to keep away gray hair.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6508974465/" title="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7022/6508974465_69a16349c3.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />The role of the main ingredient in our mystery soup is suppose to help with male virility; hence, what we had before us was an Ox Penis Soup.&nbsp; If I was hesitant about eating the pork intestines, I was even more so about eating this ox penis.&nbsp; After all, I don't need help with my male virility.&nbsp; It didn't help that it looked exactly what it was supposed to be, but this was a Bizarre Food Challenge, so I eventually did the deed.&nbsp; However, I couldn't fathom chewing it, so I just swallowed it whole and yes, I've heard all the jokes already. :-P<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6508974269/" title="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6508974269_a0aeabe1c3.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />From Nature Pagoda, we went to Tasty, a Chinese dessert place.&nbsp; I've only been here once before and it was on the Six Taste New Chinatown Tour.&nbsp; On that tour, our dessert was a mango-coconut dessert.&nbsp; For this second visit, we had a similar dessert, but with a twist.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6508974195/" title="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7003/6508974195_5731dc6419.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />This particular dessert included black rice, coconut milk ice, fresh mangoes and frog fallopian tubes. Yes, frog fallopian tubes.&nbsp; Like the ox penis, there is a purpose for eating frog fallopian tubes and it has to do with helping with a woman's fertility. As for the frog fallopian tubes, they looked like jelly or a soft jello which you'd find in a lot of Chinese desserts and/or drinks. There wasn't much flavor to them and since I had no issue with the texture, I didn't have a problem eating them, but it's not something I'd go out of my way to order again.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6508974063/" title="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6508974063_d4518a327c.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6508973849/" title="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Six Taste Bizarre Food Challenge" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7008/6508973849_5050f4fd61.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />I got two things out of taking this tour.&nbsp; I can definitely say that my culinary horizons have been expanded a bit further. First, I'm more open to the thought of eating pork intestines than I was in the past. Second, stinky tofu really can taste good as long as you go to restaurants that know the best way to prepare them.&nbsp; Third, I wouldn't turn down a bowl of turtle soup if someone offered it to me.<br /><br />I also reaffirmed to myself that just because certain foods are enjoyed by others, it doesn't mean that I have to like or even eat them (again), regardless of why.&nbsp; I'm glad that I tried the Century Egg, had a bite of that blood cube and even swallowed that ox penis, but there doesn't have to be repeat performances for any of those foods for me.&nbsp; But if I decide never to eat a blood sausage, haagis, a scorpion or a guinea pig, that's okay, too.&nbsp; It's my prerogative. <br /><br />In the end, while I have my limits, I do have a pretty adventurous palate compared to many.&nbsp; That was very evident when I started regaling my co-workers about all the interesting food that I ate on that tour.&nbsp; My audience wasn't to keen on the century egg and the stinky tofu but once I got to the pork intestines, I completely lost them.&nbsp; Can you imagine how they would have reacted to the ox penis and frog fallopian tubes? Now that would have been interesting.<br /><br /><b>Aji Ichiban</b><br />140 W Valley Blvd<br />Suite 109<br />San Gabriel, CA 91776<br />(626) 280-6383<br /><br /><b>101 Hot Pot Cafe</b><br />140 W Valley Blvd<br />Suite 108<br />San Gabriel, CA 91776<br />(626) 288-7088<br /><br /><b>Tasty Village</b><br />140 W Valley Blvd<br />San Gabriel, CA 91776<br />(626) 571-1178<br /><br /><b>Ay-Chung Noodle</b><br />140 W Valley Blvd<br />San Gabriel, CA 91776<br />(626) 280-0186<br /><br /><b>Nature Pagoda</b><br />312 W Valley Blvd<br />San Gabriel, CA 91778<br />(626) 570-8333<br /><br /><b>Tasty</b><br />250 W Valley Blvd<br />San Gabriel, CA 91778<br />(626) 282-8263 <br /><br /><b>Six Taste Contact Info</b><br /><a href="http://www.sixtaste.com/">Six Taste Website</a><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/SixTaste">Six Taste on Facebook</a><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/sixtaste">Six Taste on Twitter</a><br /><br /><a class="summary-link" id="bizfoodCollapseLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='hide("bizfood")'>^</a> </span>pleasurepalatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12440637859807035906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28313024.post-58576370232866121312011-12-14T20:17:00.000-08:002012-01-10T19:30:24.483-08:00Fluff Ice is Not Your Typical Shaved Ice<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509461481/" title="Checking Out Fluff Ice by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Checking Out Fluff Ice" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7160/6509461481_9e0b2eb236.jpg" width="500" /></a>&nbsp;</div><br />Last September, I paid a first visit to Fluff Ice, a shop in Monterey Park that specializes in something that isn't ice cream, isn't yogurt and is not your typical shaved ice.&nbsp; Instead, it's a dessert that's more on the creamy side and will remind you of fresh, newly fallen, fluffy snow; hence, Fluff Ice.&nbsp; You don't believe me? That's what I got from the sign below.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509461093/" title="Checking Out Fluff Ice by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Checking Out Fluff Ice" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7153/6509461093_eda31bfb1a.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Before I even saw the sign, I walked into a space that was dominated by the company's signature colors of blue, green and white.<br /><a class="summary-link" href="javascript:return(false)" id="flufficeReadmoreLink">More ...</a><span class="summary-main" id="flufficeMain"><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="summary-main" id="flufficeMain"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509461425/" title="Checking Out Fluff Ice by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Checking Out Fluff Ice" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7143/6509461425_9cb81f3acc.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509461333/" title="Checking Out Fluff Ice by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Checking Out Fluff Ice" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6509461333_45d875b1a2.jpg" width="375" /></a></span></div><span class="summary-main" id="flufficeMain"><br />On the counter, you can check out the various cup sizes for your fluff ice. At the register, you can take a look at the Fluff Ice Menu. Basically, how it works is that you choose 1 of 8 flavors to start with. However, between you and me, sometimes there's a secret flavor or two that is off menu. Just ask the guy or gal behind the counter to see if you can score whatever Owner, Matthew Hui, has been experimenting with in the kitchen.<br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="summary-main" id="flufficeMain"><br /></span></div><span class="summary-main" id="flufficeMain"></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="summary-main" id="flufficeMain"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509461183/" title="Checking Out Fluff Ice by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Checking Out Fluff Ice" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6509461183_049c808c7b.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div><span class="summary-main" id="flufficeMain"><br />Once you choose your flavor and size, you can choose two toppings that are included in the original price; however, you'll have to pay extra for the premium toppers.&nbsp; Don't feel that you miss much by opting out of the premium toppers because some of the regular toppings include things like red bean, egg pudding, lychee jelly ~ all of which are just as good. After that, your choice of either condensed milk or chocolate syrup is poured on your Fluff Ice, also included in the price, and you're ready to go.<br /><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="summary-main" id="flufficeMain"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509461025/" title="Checking Out Fluff Ice by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Checking Out Fluff Ice" height="318" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6509461025_208e4cc710.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div><span class="summary-main" id="flufficeMain"><br />If you can't make up your mind, check out the Favorite Combos board to get some ideas. Perhaps, the Peach Me! Combo with peach fluff ice, lychee jelly and condensed milk is your thing.&nbsp; If not, how about the Mango Madness Combo with mango fluff ice, mangoes, mango pudding, mango jelly and condensed milk. There are four other combos to choose from so I'm sure you'll be able to find something to your liking.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509460939/" title="Checking Out Fluff Ice by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Checking Out Fluff Ice" height="342" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7006/6509460939_f8931ab6b6.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Unlike typical shaved ice that is usually made by putting ice into a machine, fluff ice is done a little bit differently. I don't really know the details, but the ingredients for all the various fluff ice flavors are frozen into cylinders and then there's a machine where that ice cylinder is pushed down and in the process "fluff ice" comes out the other end into the waiting cup.&nbsp; You can get an idea of what I mean by taking a look at the photos below.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509460829/" title="Checking Out Fluff Ice by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Checking Out Fluff Ice" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7020/6509460829_f099ed2347.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509460681/" title="Checking Out Fluff Ice by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Checking Out Fluff Ice" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6509460681_5e5c7d294b.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509460747/" title="Checking Out Fluff Ice by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Checking Out Fluff Ice" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6509460747_dc8811c0e4.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />At the time of my visit, Matthew was able to give me small samples of all the flavors he had on hand which included Thai Iced Tea, Taro, Strawberry, Chocolate, Peach, Kiwi and Original.&nbsp; Unfortunately, he didn't have any Green Tea, which apparently is a favorite among his customers. I pretty much liked everything I tasted, except I didn't really taste that much kiwi in the kiwi flavor.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509460607/" title="Checking Out Fluff Ice by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Checking Out Fluff Ice" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6509460607_3932a2f303.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />My favorite was the Thai Iced Tea and with the addition of the condensed milk, it tasted even more like I was eating a Thai Iced Tea instead of actually drinking it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509460517/" title="Checking Out Fluff Ice by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Checking Out Fluff Ice" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6509460517_384c7dd137.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />I was also able to try a couple of their Premium Toppers, which you can actually just order by themselves if you were so inclined. First, there was the Pink Honey Boba, which is actually just boba soaking in honey. Then there was their Popping Strawberry and Passionfruit Boba, which I just tried for the first time a few weeks before at a yogurt shop.&nbsp; If you've never had them, once you take a bite, you'll know why they are called Popping Boba.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509460451/" title="Checking Out Fluff Ice by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Checking Out Fluff Ice" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6509460451_34d32ae74c.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509460383/" title="Checking Out Fluff Ice by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Checking Out Fluff Ice" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6509460383_5ec47f91fc.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />After all that sampling, I was ready for my own full size Fluff Ice. I was feeling a bit lazy, so I decided to pick a combo. I went for the Pretty in Pink Combo that had Strawberry Fluff topped with Strawberry Pink Boba and Condensed Milk. Matthew personally put mine together.&nbsp; Thanks, Matthew!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509460109/" title="Checking Out Fluff Ice by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Checking Out Fluff Ice" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6509460109_c1cc524d41.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509460041/" title="Checking Out Fluff Ice by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Checking Out Fluff Ice" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6509460041_ba3df63e46.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6509459981/" title="Checking Out Fluff Ice by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Checking Out Fluff Ice" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6509459981_545860e24f.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />Overall, Fluff Ice has made me a fan. In fact, I've been back a few times and even brought friends specifically to try Fluff Ice. What I like is the creamy texture that isn't ice cream or yogurt. I don't know how that creamy texture has come about, but all I know is that it works for me. I also love the variety of Fluff Ice flavors that are available and know that there are still more to come ~ something to look forward to. While I'm normally an ice cream fan(atic), Fluff Ice has definitely given my favorite dessert a run for its money.<b></b></span><br /><span class="summary-main" id="flufficeMain"><br /><a href="http://www.fluffice.com/#/HOME-01-00/">Fluff Ice</a><br />500 N Atlantic Blvd<br />Ste 153<br />Monterey Park, CA 91754<br />(626) 872-2123<br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/fluffice"><i>Facebook</i></a><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/fluffice"><i>Twitter</i></a><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/5/1590732/restaurant/LA/Fluff-Ice-Monterey-Park"><img alt="Fluff Ice on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1590732/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; width: 104px;" /></a><br /> </span><br />pleasurepalatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12440637859807035906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28313024.post-1556789298978050682011-12-07T10:30:00.000-08:002011-12-07T19:09:01.387-08:00Filipino-Hawaiian Chef Blaine Villasin Takes Over as Chef Partner at Roy's Restaurant Downtown LA Location<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6251737566/" title="Media Dinner at Roy's by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Roy's" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6169/6251737566_a3730849cd.jpg" width="500" /></a>&nbsp;</div><br />As a Filipina food blogger, I'm always excited about supporting Filipino chefs. So when I got a media dinner invitation to the downtown LA location of Roy's Restaurant, where Chef Blaine Villasin, who is of Filipino-Hawaiian descent has taken over as Chef Partner, I was happy to attend. The evening started with cocktails and appetizers including the vegetable wrapped beef carpaccio.<br /> <a class="summary-link" id="bvroyReadmoreLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='show("bvroy")'>More ...</a><span id="bvroyMain" class="summary-main"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6251737250/" title="Media Dinner at Roy's by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Roy's" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6107/6251737250_eefbb34465.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6251209801/" title="Media Dinner at Roy's by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Roy's" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6217/6251209801_abf831b78f.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Then Chef Villasin came out briefly to introduce himself and he also mentioned that the food we were going to enjoy that evening weren't necessarily on the menu yet. Instead, the dishes were more like of a preview of what's to come.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6251209617/" title="Media Dinner at Roy's by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Roy's" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6045/6251209617_15ec69809c.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />Our first course was a Striped Bass Sashimi with Tamari Chimichurri and Black Sea Salt. The fish was light and delicate and could have been overwhelmed by the strong flavors of the salt and chimichurri, but for me, the flavors were nicely balanced.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6251736618/" title="Media Dinner at Roy's by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Roy's" height="367" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6221/6251736618_81b86f1be0.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />5 Spice Seared Scallop Salad with Tangerines, Baby Mache and an Orange-Vanilla Vinaigrette was our second course.&nbsp; The scallop had a perfect sear and I liked the tart notes coming from the tangerine.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6251736482/" title="Media Dinner at Roy's by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Roy's" height="362" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6060/6251736482_cfbd60c1e2.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Next was the Buta Kakuni which is a Star Anise Braised Pork Belly with Shimeji Mushrooms and a Soy Mustard Foam.&nbsp; I enjoyed the soft texture of the pork skin and the tender pork meat. The mushrooms added some nice nutty notes while the mustard added a nice "bite" to the dish.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6251735874/" title="Media Dinner at Roy's by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Roy's" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6240/6251735874_158eeb654a.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />The final savory dish of the meal was Herb Roasted Rack of Lamb with Pomegranate Demi Glace, Pea Tendrils and Summer Vegetables.&nbsp; I liked that the lamb tender and how the pomegranate added a fruit tartness to the meat.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6251735396/" title="Media Dinner at Roy's by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Roy's" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6232/6251735396_61974c5a43.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />For dessert, it was all about the Caramelized Pineapple Lychee Semi-Freddo with Shortbread Cookie, Pine Nut Dust and Lime Gel.&nbsp; The dessert was a perfect way to end the meal.&nbsp; It wasn't too sweet and in fact, acted almost like a palate cleanser to the meal.&nbsp; The pine nut dust was a nice touch and the lime gel added a little bit of tartness that I enjoyed.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6251734614/" title="Media Dinner at Roy's by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Roy's" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6054/6251734614_2452fcbf27.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Overall, it was a nice introduction to Chef Villasin's food which bodes well for Roy's Downtown. Considering that Chef-Partners at all the various Roy's Restaurants have a say in the menu, I'm hoping that Chef Villasin will incorporate some Filipino touches. Only time will tell. <br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_325750871"><br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.roysrestaurant.com/locations/CA/los_angeles.asp">Roy's</a><br />800 S Figueroa St<br />Los Angeles, CA 90017<br />(213) 488-4994<br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/5/74584/restaurant/Downtown/Roys-LA"><img alt="Roy's on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/74584/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; width: 104px;" /></a><a class="summary-link" id="bvroyCollapseLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='hide("bvroy")'>^</a> </span>pleasurepalatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12440637859807035906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28313024.post-56282460501474838542011-12-05T19:08:00.001-08:002011-12-06T20:34:17.356-08:00Cactus, Moles and Tequila at Juan's RestauranteWhen it comes to Mole, the first time I ever had a Mole dish was in 2006.&nbsp; Don't applaud my good memory. I only knew that because it was an experience that was included in <a href="http://pleasurepalate.blogspot.com/2006/10/alamada-swap-meet-and-la-casita.html" target="_blank">my very first Pleasure Palate blog post</a>.&nbsp; If you don't know what Mole is, you can get more information <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_%28sauce%29" target="_blank">here</a></i>,but basically, it's a type of sauce that is part of Mexican cuisine andcould have anywhere from 20 to 40 ingredients.&nbsp; As a food lover, if you've never had mole, you're truly missing out on something special.&nbsp; When done right, a mole sauce can show complexity and have layers of flavor that would simply amaze you.<br /><br />So when <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/uschuy" target="_blank">a little birdie or actually a friend</a> mentioned a new mole restaurant called Juan's Restaurante, my ears perked up. When I found out that it was a 15 minute drive my house, I knew I had to check this place out and luckily, I was able to do that through a 15 course tasting menu that was set up with the restaurant.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463369757/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="360" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6463369757_c3c792164f.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Walking into Juan's, the first thing I saw was a woman making handmade tortillas, but the one thing that really stood out about them was they were bright green. I'll tell you why later in this post.<br /><a class="summary-link" id="juanmoleReadmoreLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='show("juanmole")'>More ...</a><span id="juanmoleMain" class="summary-main"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463369475/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7003/6463369475_f9af0ce5c1.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />In the dining room, there was also interesting wall art, but one painting had a recognizable face.&nbsp; It was a painting of Chef Rocio Camacho. Chef Camacho is known for her moles and worked her mole magic at a couple of restaurants before finally opening her own restaurant just recently. She worked as a consultant at Juan's Restaurante for a period of time and served as inspiration to Chef-Owner Juan Mondragon as he perfected his mole recipes.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463369335/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7028/6463369335_35cea8b2d4.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463369111/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7161/6463369111_3643ef4f6f.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />So now let's talk about our meal which actually started with a beverage tasting.&nbsp; First up was their Sangria Afrodisiaca which is made up of 30 different kinds of fruit, tequila and agave wine.&nbsp; It was just the right amount of sweet with a little hint of tartness.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463368887/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6463368887_8e27d1bab2.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />The second drink was one of three kinds of agua frescas that they serve. If you're a beet lover, then their beet agua fresca that also includes lettuce and apples might be just for you. I actually like beet juice but it can be strong in flavor, so it might not be for everyone. In fact, a couple of people in the group said that this beet agua fresca was like drinking a salad, which may or may not appeal to you.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463368725/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6463368725_1f0b8185e1.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />An agua fresca with cactus and pineapple was the second one we tried. It was actually my favorite. I really liked the slight grassy-sweet-tart flavors of the drink.&nbsp; It was really refreshing and also a nice palate cleanser throughout the meal.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463368577/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7009/6463368577_3456ee6c67.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />The third agua fresca was the hit of the table and it was their Pumpkin Orchata. Instead of rice milk, it's made with almond milk which gave the drink a sweet nutty taste.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463368327/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7001/6463368327_68fba328df.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />Before I talk about the food, I should mention that there's more to this restaurant than just the moles themselves. There are actually two underlying themes. One has to do with how Chef Modragon's goal is to feature the cuisine of Pre-Hispanic Mexico,&nbsp; which is represented by his moles as well as other dishes on his menu.<br /><br />Second, nopal is something that has been consumed in Mexico for thousands of years for its health benefits. It's even considered cancer-fighting. When a Chef's family member got cancer, she started to include more nopal in her diet. To help with the monotony of eating the same kind of food over and over, Chef Mondragon actually developed nopal recipes to offer variety, some of which are also on the menu. By the way, I have to offer a disclaimer and say that I don't know if nopal is indeed cancer fighting, but I can say that his family member is now cancer-free.&nbsp; <br /><br />All this brings me to the first dish of our meal, which was a Nopal Empanada Stuffed with Squash Blossoms. I had to do a double take for a second because the empanada was as green as the green tortillas I saw earlier. It turns out that both the empanada and tortillas are made with just cactus and lime juice. As for the nopal empanada, I loved how light and flaky the empanada was.&nbsp; Apparently, it's that way due to the fibrous nature of the nopal itself.&nbsp; The squash blossom filling also had a nice flavor.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463367931/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/6463367931_d873d889de.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Next was the Nopal Empanada Stuffed with Huitlacoche. I enjoyed the smokiness and earthiness of the corn fungus and actually marvelled at how the empanada wasn't oily at all.&nbsp; When I asked the Chef about that, he said that the empanadas aren't cooked with oil. Instead they are grilled and covered to allow the circulating heat to do all the actual cooking.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463367681/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6463367681_304b80579f.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />After enjoying our first two appetizers, my little birdie friend,who also brought tequila to the party, gave us both a taste and a tequila tasting lesson with a little shot of Siete Leguas Tequila Blanco. Regarding this tequila, it was made in the highlands of Jalisco, which apparently has less of a "bite" than lowland tequilas.&nbsp; Also, Leguas is the name of Pancho Villa's horse. Now for the lesson. To be able to identify the flavor notes of a tequila, you breathe in, take a sip, swallow and then breathe out. As you breathe out, your palate can sometimes taste the nuances. I think I tasted lemon or lime, but I'm not quite sure.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463367307/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6463367307_1df56b0c2c.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />Queso Fundido with Cactus, Bell Peppers, Onions and Mushrooms with Nopal Tortillas soon came along. Unfortunately, I didn't care for it too much. I love my cheese and the cheese was too overpowered by the size of the other ingredients. The melty cheese should be the star and would have been if all the other ingredients were scaled down in size and were more supporting players. I do have to mention that we were served tasting portions so perhaps the actual dish has a lot more cheese than what we received, so that's something to consider.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463367127/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="365" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6463367127_875f6110f0.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463366901/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7035/6463366901_a466abf581.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />The next cheese dish which was the Queso Fresco, however, was a hit. This particular cheese is house made from low fat milk. It was wonderfully light and ate well rolled up in the nopal tortilla with the spicy salsa they had brought out earlier.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463366709/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="342" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6463366709_67e64a7464.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />After the Queso Fresco, came the Cactus Salad with a house made vinaigrette. The cactus was nice and crunchy and most important of all, not slimy. I've had cactus salads at other restaurants where the cactus had a slimy texture which is a total taste turn off.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463366553/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6463366553_19c6bc8727.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />One of my favorite dishes was the Cochinita Pibil Taco.&nbsp; The pork was marinated in mandarin orange juice which gave the meat its citrus flavors, but I also loved the fact that it was spicy.&nbsp; It certainly woke up my taste buds and made them stand at attention.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463366371/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6463366371_aabbd961e9.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />What followed next were 3 different soups starting with the Sopa Mixteca which is a tomato-based soup with nopal and charales, a tiny fish that is either dried or salted and fried. The broth was spicy which I enjoyed and I liked the hint of saltiness that came from the fish.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463366169/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6463366169_bcaa12dcc9.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />After the Sopa Mixteca came the Caldo de Piedra, a seafood soup that came with an interesting story.&nbsp; Apparently, this Pre-Hispanic Mexican dish was historically a dish made by a husband for his wife every Sunday as a Thank Your for all her hard work.&nbsp; The preparation goes like this. Put all the seafood and other ingredients in a pot.&nbsp; Heat up rocks in the fire until the rocks are red.&nbsp; Place the hot rocks in the soup and that's how the soup is cooked.&nbsp; That same preparation is done at Juan's. Unfortunately, I found the story more memorable than this soup.&nbsp; I can't remember any distinct flavors. I do remember that the octopus was amazingly tender, but that the shrimp was a tad over cooked.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463365943/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6463365943_99b53f3693.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Our last soup was the Tlapeno which was a soup with carrots, garbanzo beans and chipotle.&nbsp; I had an issue with the fact that there were hardly any garbanzo beans at all. I think I had three and the person beside me had only one.&nbsp; The most anyone had in their soup was probably 4 or 5. On our tasting menu, carrots weren't even listed as an ingredient; yet, it seemed more like a carrot soup than a garbanzo bean soup. Hopefully, a full sized soup will be more garbanzo friendly than our tasting portion was. Garbanzo beans or not, the broth was too smoky from the chipotle for my particular taste.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463365743/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6463365743_f46baf07cb.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Done with the soups, the next item to arrive was the Nopal Tres Milpas, which was also referred to as a Nopal Quesadilla. It's basically two nopal halves filled with cheese, Serrano chilies, squash and corn.&nbsp; Again, the preparation of the nopal was great in that it wasn't slimy and instead had a nice little meaty texture to it. I did think that the filling needed just a tad more seasoning of some kind, but overall, this dish is a great vegetarian option.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463365555/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="336" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6463365555_b7ef38f997.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463365397/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="357" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7001/6463365397_7dde38ff6c.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />More nopal came in the form of the Carne Asada dish which was cooked with corn, onions, bell peppers and were on a bed of nopal. I'm not sure if by this point my palate was just getting fatigued, but this dish seemed similar in flavor to the Nopal Tres Milpas.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463365207/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6463365207_8dfd418ae7.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />It was tequila time again and our next taste came from Chamucos Tequila, which is a Raspado. This company that makes this tequila is family-owned.&nbsp; Their raspado tequila is aged from 2 months to a year in virgin white oak barrels which gives it a lighter yellow color that is not very common for raspado tequilas.&nbsp; Chamucos, by the way, translates to "devil" and that image is definitely reflected on their bottle label.&nbsp; The flavor notes from this tequila was all about cinnamon.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463364989/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7009/6463364989_56bc5977ef.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />The grand finale for this meal was all about the moles. First, a platter of different meats were brought out that included tilapia, salmon, shrimp, pork and a filet mignon.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463364547/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6463364547_9874a31fe8.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Then out came ramekins with 10 different moles for us to try with the various proteins.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463364379/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6463364379_61d31f26be.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463364241/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6463364241_7f1865d1f2.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463364061/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6463364061_a4131b4789.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463363891/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6463363891_f5a6e65df7.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />The moles we tried were the following:<br /><ul><li>Mole Poblano (Chocolate Mole - a tad more smoky than Mole Negro)</li><li>Mole de los Dioses (Huitlacoche)</li><li>Pipian Verde (Green Pumpkin Seeds)</li><li>Pipian Rojo (Pumpkin Seeds with Red Chili)</li><li>Mole de Pistachio</li><li>Mole de Nopal (Cactus)</li><li>Aromas de Mexico (Guava and Passionfruit)</li><li>Mancha Manteles (Special Oaxcan Chile)</li><li>Mole Negro (Chocolate Mole)</li><li>Velo de Novia (Pinenuts and Almonds)</li></ul>When it came to the moles I liked, I definitely gravitated to both the Mole Poblano and Mole Negro, both of which have chocolate as one of the ingredients.&nbsp; The subtle difference between the two was that the Mole Poblano was a little smokier than the Mole Negro, but both had rich, dark complex flavors.&nbsp; The Pepian Rojo was also one that did it for me. It reminded me of a Kare Kare, a Filipino stew made with peanuts.&nbsp; However, my absolute favorite was the Mole de Nopal. I just liked its green herbiness. Apparently, I'm in good company because when Oprah Winfrey is in town, Chef Mondragon will cook for her and the Mole Nopal is her favorite mole, too.<br /><br />After our mole madness, we relaxed with our third tequila from Volcan de mi Tierra. This particular tequila is an Anejo Tequila which is aged for about 14 months.&nbsp; This was my favorite of the three because of the lovely caramel notes that came through.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463363327/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6463363327_1ca22595a4.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />Finally, it's dessert time and the first one that came out were two different types of flan.&nbsp; One was a corn flan and the other was a nopal flan that was topped with a tuna syrup, which comes from the cactus flower.&nbsp; An interesting thing about the flans were that they were made without eggs.&nbsp; I wouldn't have known that if the Chef hadn't mentioned it.&nbsp; Each had a dense, creamy texture that I really enjoyed.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463363153/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6463363153_fce47ed2e3.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />However, my absolute dessert was the Rose Petal and Cinnamon Ice Cream and the almond, chia seed and sesame seed brittle bowl it sat in.&nbsp; I loved that the ice cream was floral with a "bite" but I have to say that the edible bowl was killer.&nbsp; It was caramel-y, nutty and just downright delicious. Give me a whole bag of that and I'd still want more.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463362783/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6463362783_75ed8386be.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Our final dessert was a Corn Cake.&nbsp; I liked it because it wasn't overally sweet and had an almost creamy texture similar to a Tres Leche Cake, but not as soggy.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6463362457/" title="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Tasting Menu and Tequila at Juan's Restaurante" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6463362457_66107a4569.jpg" width="500" />&nbsp;</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Overall, my meal at Juan's Restaurante was wonderful. I really appreciated Chef Mondragon's take on cactus. I've never had cactus in so many different ways before and of course, you can't visit his restaurant without trying any one of&nbsp; the mole dishes or that amazing cochinita pibil taco and ending with the fantastic rose petal and cinnamon ice cream.&nbsp; All I know is that I'm glad that Juan's is only a mere 15 minutes from me because I look forward to many visits to come.</div><br /><a href="http://www.juansrestauranteinc.com/">Juan's Restaurante</a><br />4291 Maine Ave<br />Baldwin Park, CA 91706<br />(626) 337-8686<br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/JuansRestaurante"><i>Facebook </i></a><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/juansrestaurant"><i>Twitter</i></a><br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/5/1611595/restaurant/LA/Juans-Restaurante-Baldwin-Park"><img alt="Juan's Restaurante on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1611595/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; width: 104px;" /></a><a class="summary-link" id="juanmoleCollapseLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='hide("juanmole")'>^</a> </span>pleasurepalatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12440637859807035906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28313024.post-13784506135219844422011-11-28T16:25:00.000-08:002011-11-28T17:51:35.881-08:00Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284729296/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5041/5284729296_ccc077ef94.jpg" width="344" /></a></div><br /><a href="http://www.loganscandies.com/index.php">Logan's Candy</a> is a small candy shop that has been in Ontario for over 70 years. It's currently owned by Jerry Rowley, who with a little help, skillfully pulls, twists, cuts and hooks more than 75,000 candy canes by hand every holiday season. In fact, between November and December, there are even <a href="http://www.loganscandies.com/candydemos.php">candy cane making demonstrations</a> to the public or by group appointment.<br /><br /><a class="summary-link" id="logancReadmoreLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='show("loganc")'>More ...</a><span id="logancMain" class="summary-main"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284704546/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="375" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5164/5284704546_10e6acca6d.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />I was actually able to attend one of these demonstrations, so take a look below to see Jerry and his staff hard at work. First, a sugar and corn syrup mixture is heated to a temperature of 340 degrees in a copper kettle. One batch will make about 400 standard-sized canes that are 10-12 inches long.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284723158/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="375" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5206/5284723158_c19390679d.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Once properly heated, the contents from the kettle is poured onto a marble board. Initially, Jerry uses a spatula to "knead" the sugar mixture together.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284124637/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5045/5284124637_7bd3924390.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284124199/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="375" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5087/5284124199_0123cc522c.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284123143/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5088/5284123143_7092c3a767.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />After a period of time, the sugar mixture was halved into two sections and individually kneaded further by hand.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284721156/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5083/5284721156_761eda7098.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284122573/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5087/5284122573_7e34d7b8a2.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284720366/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5046/5284720366_c1b4c383cd.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />A few drops of blue food coloring was added to one of the sections since for our demonstration, blue and white candy canes were being made for a special order<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284719788/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5285/5284719788_7992908110.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284719530/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5004/5284719530_c1f64f3127.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />More kneading occurred until the blue sugar mixture was set aside next to a gas heating element to keep it warm and soft.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284718126/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5209/5284718126_16bb653ed8.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284718316/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5289/5284718316_8ef3555f18.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284119297/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5049/5284119297_fd62010399.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />To the remaining sugar mixture, peppermint oil is added. Still more kneading until the sugar mixture is stretched and hung on a hook.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284717542/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5049/5284717542_fe17e01155.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284717074/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5007/5284717074_fd1eb036d1.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284716484/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5163/5284716484_b099b658de.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />Once on the hook, a lot of pulling, tugging, twisting happened similar to the pulling of taffy. It's the manipulation that helps the color turn to the recognizable white.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284118033/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5165/5284118033_bc7379ddcb.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284117895/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5285/5284117895_06ca6dda72.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284715076/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5082/5284715076_e64b340b53.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />The ensuing all white, peppermint flavored candy block is covered with a wide strip of blue candy on one side and a blue and white stripe patterned candy section on the other.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284712400/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5122/5284712400_94df60cb71.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284113549/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5248/5284113549_a9809ec7be.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284711498/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5121/5284711498_ee2dc13f1a.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />Then it's all twisted and pulled out to make all sorts of goodies via an assembly line.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284113199/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5126/5284113199_f2e1e69419.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284710718/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5050/5284710718_62a396df27.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284112455/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5204/5284112455_e131f5e4a8.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />Traditionally shaped candy canes,<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284112211/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5049/5284112211_1180e796f9.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284109139/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5081/5284109139_653830aeba.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />candy cane hearts,<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284110211/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5245/5284110211_44596997e8.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284129407/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="375" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5086/5284129407_3ccbd407d5.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />and even broken into pieces via candy machine breaker<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284709708/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5286/5284709708_b5ba1b9fed.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284111435/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5283/5284111435_5fd70d0387.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284111229/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="375" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5205/5284111229_93bb071def.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Earlier, Jerry and his crew were also making red and white candy canes.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284108657/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5049/5284108657_5ee384a6b9.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284706442/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5048/5284706442_4eaf9f7286.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284107627/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="375" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5250/5284107627_a953c46821.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284106969/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="375" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5203/5284106969_9488e5e65f.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284107321/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5247/5284107321_687ecf218a.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />Don't think that candy canes are the only thing you'll find at Logan's. You can also find vintage candies, gummy candies, licorice and more.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284126877/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5282/5284126877_927498b6de.jpg" width="403" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284129693/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5089/5284129693_484d11e52d.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284128809/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="375" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5247/5284128809_6e33beef4c.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Also keep a lookout for taffy, gumballs, hand-dipped chocolates and other hand-dipped items like chocolate covered oreos and potato chips as well as caramel-dipped apples.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284725616/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5162/5284725616_fd2a5801e7.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284126015/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="375" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5289/5284126015_c06c6a279a.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284725918/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="375" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5050/5284725918_fcb20ae088.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />They also make their own of ribbon candy in assorted flavors like Sweet Abby Pie (a personal favorite), Pink Lemonade, Root Beer, Sugar Plum, Green Apple with 13 other assorted flavors.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284728246/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5206/5284728246_8761f60185.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />In an age where everything is manufactured by machines, I think it's cool that Logan's Candy still takes the time to make their candy canes by hand. Given how intensive the whole process is, it truly must be a labor of love and for that, I hope Logan's Candy will be around for another 70+ years and beyond.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/5284130359/" title="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy by Tales of an LA Addict, on Flickr"><img alt="Handmade Candy Cane Making at Logan's Candy" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5285/5284130359_89e104cbe4.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br /><a href="http://www.loganscandies.com/index.php">Logan's Candy</a><br />125 W. "B" Street<br />Ontario CA 91762<br />(909) 984-5410<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157625530410351/with/5284130701/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Click here to see all the photos of Logan's Candy!</span></a><br /><br /><a class="summary-link" id="logancCollapseLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='hide("loganc")'>^</a> </span>pleasurepalatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12440637859807035906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28313024.post-90200210934258554972011-11-27T11:55:00.001-08:002011-11-27T15:39:30.618-08:00#LA2BAY: Food Crawl at the Ferry Building<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357010517/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6226/6357010517_46ea59f653.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />As part of<a href="http://pleasurepalate.blogspot.com/search/label/%23LA2BAY"> my #LA2BAY trip</a>, a stay in San Francisco would not be a stay without visiting the Ferry Building and even the pouring rain didn't stop us from experiencing all of its delicious offerings. Eating our way through was definitely on the agenda.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357010029/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6044/6357010029_80c20cf44d.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><a class="summary-link" id="ferrybReadmoreLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='show("ferryb")'>More ...</a><span id="ferrybMain" class="summary-main"><br />Before satisfying our palate though at the first stop of our crawl, we definitely took in some of the sights.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357009955/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6037/6357009955_38418be4df.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357009813/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6052/6357009813_ae5ed62964.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357009463/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6229/6357009463_a5e610b0aa.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357009231/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6220/6357009231_98677ff05d.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357008847/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6234/6357008847_b8a1686574.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Once outside, we headed straight to 4505 Meats where we heard that their Pork Croquette Breakfast Sandwich was out of this world.&nbsp; While we were waiting for that to be prepared, we had a sample of their Chicarrones. OMG! I'm not really an OMG kind of girl, but OMG, those chicarrones were amazing.&nbsp; They were both crispy yet still&nbsp; literally melted in your mouth plus there was this awesome combo of sweet-salty flavors with a little bit of heat that put it over the top. I brought home 3 bags. 2 survived the trip, but were quickly eaten within a few hours.&nbsp; If only I could order them online.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357008281/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6120/6357008281_1fc3456e08.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357007993/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6212/6357007993_86efb476d8.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />It wasn't long until our Pork Sandwich arrived and this is one sandwich I would have waited hours for and deemed it worth it.&nbsp; Simply, it's one of the best sandwiches I've ever had.&nbsp; Along with the pork patty, other ingredients included a fried egg, peppercress and coriander aioli.&nbsp; The pork was tender and had lots of flavor while the peppercress added both peppery and sweet notes and the yolky egg made this sandwich even more perfect.&nbsp; As for the bread, it was a wonderful vehicle for all this porky goodness.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357007903/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6047/6357007903_4332c41646.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357007817/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6116/6357007817_e9dddece64.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Also on the to-eat list was the Bacon Studded Hot Dog made Zilla Style with 4505 Chicarrones, Namu Kimchi and Scallions. We actually ended up picking at the Chicarraones first before sharing the hot dog between the four of us.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357007669/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6057/6357007669_735a1306e0.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357007611/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6225/6357007611_1a17f11c35.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />From 4505 Meats, we strolled over to Roli Roti, but not before someone in our group picked up a Fried Chicken Ramen from Hapa Ramen.&nbsp; That soup looked pretty tasty, too, but I didn't want to get filled up on that when a Porcetta sandwich was soon coming our way.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357007467/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6102/6357007467_5a951793fb.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357007341/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6220/6357007341_767646bcb2.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />Roli Roti is basically Rolling Rotisserie truck where the menu primarily revolves around their Rotisserie chicken.&nbsp; However, what they're also known for is their Porcetta sandwich, which is basically a pork loin wrapped around pork belly, stuffed with herbs and also cooked rotisserie-style.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357007121/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6105/6357007121_07654e4b43.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357006985/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6091/6357006985_5c9ce28132.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357006877/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6092/6357006877_ec64bb332a.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />Once you order the Porcetta sandwich, there's quite an efficient assembly line that gets your sandwich to you,&nbsp; from the one who slices the meat to the one who gets the meat on the bread to the one who finishes your sandwich off with the addition of the toppings and condiments.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357006613/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6058/6357006613_a40306e8c9.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357006691/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6037/6357006691_2b8e62e0d3.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />They were even kind enough to cut the sandwich in fourths for us.&nbsp; Along with the pork itself, there were also pork skin bits, onion jam and arugula and all on a ciabatta bread.&nbsp; Do you remember how I mentioned earlier that the Pork Croquette Sandwich I had at 4504 Meats was one of the best sandwiches I ever had?&nbsp; Well, this Porcetta Sandwich is up there, too.&nbsp; I don't even know what to say about it, except that it's just so, so good.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357006545/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6103/6357006545_96e65e07cb.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357006453/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6033/6357006453_86749e825d.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357006349/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="365" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6043/6357006349_8abaa863ae.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />From someone who isn't that much into sandwiches, this was definitely a sandwich day because our next stop was at Cap'n Mike's Holy Smoke stand.&nbsp; Known for their smoked salmon, tuna and sturgeon lox, they also have an adjoining stand that serves sandwiches made from their smoked fish.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357005997/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6058/6357005997_6d6547368b.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357005939/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6230/6357005939_f494b6253e.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />We opted for the Cold Smoked Sturgeon Sandwich with a housemade cream cheese, pickled red onions, capers, thinly sliced lemons, sprinkled with Eat Well Farms Lavender Salt and all on Acme sourdough bread. By that time, it was pouring pretty hard and my hands were chilled.&nbsp; A cold sandwich may not have been an optimal choice, but it was worth it. A little salty, a little vinegary, a little tart and surprisingly, even a little bit floral with the smoked fish worked when it came to this sandwich.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357005771/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6034/6357005771_f7c82735a8.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357005681/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6053/6357005681_214cdac838.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Needing to take a break from the cold, we went back into the Ferry Building and took a breather at the Imperial Tea Court where we warmed up with flowering teas.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357005407/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6038/6357005407_af671c0ac4.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357005497/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6048/6357005497_4650597fac.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357004763/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6049/6357004763_1b80c4a4e7.jpg" width="477" /></a></div><br />Amazingly enough, we still had room for a Tea Snack Sampler which included homemade cookies, green tea pumpkin seeds, ginger roasted almonds and spicy raisins as well as a Dim Sum Sampler with sui mai, hargow, steamed pork buns and baked vegetable rolls.&nbsp; The Tea Snack Sampler was okay, but I wouldn't go out of my way for their Dim Sum Sampler, especially when Chinatown isn't that far away.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357004151/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6051/6357004151_2397a8d34b.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357003993/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6056/6357003993_72d6d2ab7c.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />After this respite, off we went to Boccalone, where it's all about the "Tasty Salted Pig Parts."&nbsp; Boccalone is a maker of sausages and all types of salumi, that you can purchase online as well as at their Ferry Building storefront.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357003931/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6219/6357003931_93a15d7ee5.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357003681/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6051/6357003681_1b5b50451a.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357003467/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6120/6357003467_a1bb5ac018.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Also at their storefront, customers can choose from a variety of sandwiches or simply get a Meat Cone, which is just what it sounds like.&nbsp; It's a cone filled with slices of various types of salumi. We went for the cone and if I wasn't already getting full, I would have gotten a cone just for myself.&nbsp; After all, who can resist "Tasty Salted Pig Parts"?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357003179/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6048/6357003179_1da4103b15.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357003363/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6056/6357003363_d06d619d18.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357003265/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="326" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6214/6357003265_1843c35776.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />While there, we even ran into San Francisco Celebrity Chef Chris Constantino and he was kind enough to pose for photos.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357003059/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6230/6357003059_d1aaf449ab.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />The last stop of our Ferry Building Food Crawl was the Cowgirl Creamery's food stand called Sidekick. There we first shared a Cheese Puff filled with Herb Fromage Blanc.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357002801/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6035/6357002801_c5db575bc2.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357002703/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6118/6357002703_352c0cb5a2.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357002599/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="351" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6101/6357002599_5f1308cf1c.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />However, the real star was the Cowgirl Cottage Cheese Dumplings in Grana Padana Cheese Broth with Green Beans and Toasted Acme Bread. The dumplings were light and fluffy and the broth was rich and flavorful.&nbsp; The bread started off as crouton-like, but then I loved how it softened as it absorbed the soup.&nbsp; This is definitely a soup I'd have as often as I could if I lived in the Bay Area.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357002495/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6109/6357002495_cb391e120f.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357002329/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6051/6357002329_21c5834a79.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />On our way out, we stopped at the Miette Patisserie where the cakes and cupcakes looked really tempting, but I decided to pick up some chocolate and lavender shortbreads to go instead.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357002207/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6108/6357002207_7c97129b1b.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357002129/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6100/6357002129_b9573b9bbc.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357001797/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="375" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6237/6357001797_6a10b217de.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Just before we walked out the door, I took a picture of this sign in front of a Gelato Shop, but for me, the sign should have said "The Weather Might Be Dreary, But Eating at the Ferry Building Makes You Cheery".&nbsp; Even with the rain and cold weather, visiting and eating our way through the Ferry Building definitely warmed me from the inside out and I would definitely go back.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6357001675/" title="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="#LA2BAY: Ferry Building Food Crawl" height="500" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6214/6357001675_1c41e055c5.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br /><b>Ferry Building</b><br /><a href="http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/">Website</a><br /><br /><b>4505 Meats</b><br /><a href="http://4505meats.com/">Website</a><br /><br /><b>Roli Roti</b><br /><a href="http://www.roliroti.com/">Website</a><br /><br /><b>Cap'n Mike's Holy Smoke</b><br /><a href="http://www.holysmokedsalmon.com/">Website</a><br /><br /><b>Imperial Tea Court</b><br /><a href="http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/imperial_tea_court.php">Website</a><br /><br /><b>Boccalone</b><br /><a href="http://www.boccalone.com/pages/Ferry-Building-Shop.html">Website</a><br /><br /><b>Cowgirl Creamery Sidekick</b><br /><a href="http://www.cowgirlcreamerysidekick.com/">Website</a><a class="summary-link" id="ferrybCollapseLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='hide("ferryb")'>^</a> </span>pleasurepalatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12440637859807035906noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28313024.post-1310532772700905602011-11-12T21:48:00.001-08:002011-11-13T18:10:26.469-08:00Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6339603038/" title="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6211/6339603038_f508da4ca4.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />As a Filipina, pork is a definite food love since it does play a good part in Filipino cuisine.&nbsp; So when a friend asked if I wanted to check out the Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza, I jumped at the chance and when I saw the menu, I was even more interested.<br /><a class="summary-link" id="scuolaReadmoreLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='show("scuola")'>More ...</a><span id="scuolaMain" class="summary-main"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6339602938/" title="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6217/6339602938_37029bb40a.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />For those of you unfamiliar with Scuola Di Pizza, it's part of Pizzeria Mozza and Osteria Mozza and is a private dining room with an open kitchen and seated family-style dining.&nbsp; It can be rented for private events, but it's also used for cooking classes and themed dinners open to the public.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mozza2go.com/calendar.cfm"><i></i></a>Currently, Chef Chad Colby is the one who teaches the classes as well as cooks the Whole Hog Family Dinners every Saturday night.&nbsp; Considering that <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/2011-05-05/eat-drink/jonathan-gold-judges-cochon-555-s-traveling-pork-and-wine-bacchanalia/">he won Cochon 55</a>, the heritage pig competition in Los Angeles last May, I knew we were in good hands.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6339602774/" title="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza" height="369" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6056/6339602774_8796c500cc.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />The Whole Hog Dinner is basically a six course menu featuring Heritage Foods USA Hogs and ours started with a complimentary glass of Prosecco and two types of Focaccia Bread. One was with Hot Peppers and Sage and the other, which is the one you see below, is with Green Olives and Cheese. No pork yet, but that will soon be remedied.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6339602868/" title="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza" height="344" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6239/6339602868_680a597ca1.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />While we were enjoying our appetizers, we could admire the plated items that would consist of our first course.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6338851549/" title="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6092/6338851549_7b36f612cb.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6338851439/" title="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6118/6338851439_1bdcbbc304.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />We could also watch the chefs as they were prepping and cooking some of the ingredients that would go into our second course.&nbsp; Being able to see the chefs at work is definitely a perk of dining right in front of an open kitchen.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6338851305/" title="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6033/6338851305_d906383f3e.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />Finally, we were asked to be seated and then 2-3 sets of our first course dishes were put at opposite ends of the table so that guests could take their share and pass the plate(s) to the person beside them.&nbsp; One of the items consisted of Crispy Bread Sticks Wrapped in Pancetta. Then there was Pickled Fennel, Carrots and Sweet and Sour Shallots.<br /><br />The star or should I say stars were actually the 3 types of Pate that we got to enjoy. The first pate was head cheese pate with pork butter with the second one being a “butcher’s pâté"&nbsp; that was made of ground heart, liver and kidneys.&nbsp; Finally, there was a bacon wrapped tenderloin terrine. With the pates came grilled crostini and a spicy grain mustard.&nbsp; The pate was quite rich and buttery, but the pickled vegetables really helped to cut into that richness. I also enjoyed how the spicy mustard also gave the pates a kick of heat.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6339602214/" title="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6056/6339602214_45116bf4f8.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Our second course was Pork Belly Sausage and Rib Confit served with Trotter-Stewed Butter Beans. We actually saw the Pork Belly Sausage being grilled earlier. I wasn't sure how I would feel about the pork belly being ground up, but I have to admit that its fattiness added some really good flavor to the sausage.&nbsp; The rib meat was tender and I really loved the porky flavor of the butter beans. Chef Colby, who introduced each course, jokingly said that this dish was his version of "pork and beans". Chef, you can cook at my campfire anytime.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6338850787/" title="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6214/6338850787_e7f7997198.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6338850679/" title="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza" height="369" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6039/6338850679_96f0d5f85f.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6339601712/" title="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6221/6339601712_56db286753.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Next up was the Souffle of Parmigiano Reggiano over Pork Leg Ragu.&nbsp; The souffle was perfect.&nbsp; It was soft, and pillowy and I loved the sharp and nutty flavor coming from the cheese. However, I didn't really understand the role of the Pork Leg Ragu with the Souffle.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6338850417/" title="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6105/6338850417_1a8a701aa7.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />I know it was meant to be eaten with the souffle and I did do that, but it felt like two separate entities that were forced to be partnered with each other by virtue of being on the same plate.&nbsp; I felt like I was just eating meat sauce. Now, if that was tossed with pasta, I could have gone for that.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6339601454/" title="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6092/6339601454_e282188ce0.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />With all the rich courses we've been having so far, I was really craving green vegetables and luckily, our next course was Roasted Pork Shoulder with Chicory Salad and Salsa Verde. You can see that beautiful piece of meat below.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6339601018/" title="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6115/6339601018_d60dd01da3.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />The open kitchen again afforded the chance for us to see Chef Colby cutting into the Roast Pork Shoulder so that it can be served to our table.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6338849695/" title="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6032/6338849695_7443b6a662.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6339600742/" title="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6109/6339600742_141057c170.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6338849417/" title="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6052/6338849417_2984f8b9f6.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />The chicory salad which had a tart viniagrette was a perfect foil for the fattiness of the pork, which also included pieces of crunchy skin.&nbsp; I also liked how the salsa verde or what seemed to more like a chimuchurri added herbacious flavors to the entire dish.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6338849195/" title="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza" height="369" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6035/6338849195_6b1d3694ab.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6338849093/" title="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6227/6338849093_26738a39b6.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Our last savory dish of the night was the Milk Roasted Pork Loin with Caramelized Ricotta and Sage. The pork was moist and tender and I liked how the ricotta and sage added balanced notes of both sweet and peppery to the meat.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6338848805/" title="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6059/6338848805_c579959af1.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6338848603/" title="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza" height="369" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6056/6338848603_084a9b13d8.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Now's it's time for dessert and believe it or not, this Whole Hog theme even applied to dessert where butter was replaced with pig fat in their Graham Cracker Pigs. Clever, don't you think?&nbsp; Accompanying these delicious cookies were a Rice and Hazelnut Gelati and a Melon Sorbet.&nbsp; Scooping the ice cream with pieces of the cookie and taking a bite was a fun and tasty activity.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6338848441/" title="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6019/6338848441_e4fbdedf5b.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6339599430/" title="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6039/6339599430_21bdb15bc6.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6339598906/" title="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Whole Hog Family Dinner at Scuola Di Pizza" height="369" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6036/6339598906_d1d8a4ee51.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Overall, it was a delicious meal.&nbsp; The pork was prepared well and with finesse and I can definitely see or actually taste why Chef Colby emerged triumphant at Cochon 55. There's only small thing I would change is that I would have liked the addition of more vegetables in the initial courses to help cut down the richness of the meal.&nbsp; That chicory salad was a welcome relief because by that time, my palate was feeling just a bit fatigued.<br /><br />Other than that, the meals at Scuola di Pizza is definitely worth checking out and if you're interested in the Whole Hog Dinner, it runs $75 per person, not including tax and tip. <a href="http://www.mozza2go.com/calendar.cfm"><i>Click here to see Scuoloa Di Pizza's calendar of events, including their Saturday Night Whole Hog Dinners.</i></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mozza2go.com/private_dining.cfm">Scuola Di Pizza</a><br />6610 Melrose Avenue<br />Los Angeles, CA90036<br />(323) 297-1133 <a class="summary-link" id="scuolaCollapseLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='hide("scuola")'>^</a> </span>pleasurepalatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12440637859807035906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28313024.post-38651788369964586702011-11-11T08:49:00.001-08:002011-11-11T08:55:56.841-08:00New British Kitchen TV Show Features Filipino Food<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>The New British Kitchen is a UKTV show which takes you on a culinary exploration of the UK, discovering how settling migrants have brought their homeland's cuisine with them to the area. In this episode (Parts 1 and 2), they featured Filipino flavours and cooking (Lumpia and Sinigang) along with Mae Williams from Philippine Generations, showing the master chefs how its done!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xP76lOtoi18" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HhBAflZpOQM" width="560"></iframe></div>pleasurepalatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12440637859807035906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28313024.post-68254427141231073002011-11-09T20:42:00.000-08:002011-11-09T20:59:09.825-08:00Chinatown Thanksgiving Dinner at Plum Tree Inn<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6328255642/" title="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6217/6328255642_594eeb5ca0.jpg" width="386" /></a>&nbsp;</div><br />When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, visions of roast turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce and maybe, even green bean casserole probably dance in your head. For a change of pace, why not try something different? That's exactly what the Chinatown Business Improvement District wanted myself and other food bloggers and writers to do by inviting us to their 2nd Annual Chinatown Thanksgiving Dinner at the Plum Tree Inn.<br /><a class="summary-link" id="plumtreeReadmoreLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='show("plumtree")'>More ...</a><span id="plumtreeMain" class="summary-main"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6327504633/" title="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn" height="366" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6057/6327504633_ed988a8878.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Our evening started with some appetizers that included Vegetable Dumplings, Beef Skewers and my favorite of the three, Sesame Chicken.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6328255276/" title="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6212/6328255276_98ff3cf22e.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6328255452/" title="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn" height="365" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6060/6328255452_06f96174f1.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6328255366/" title="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn" height="340" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6057/6328255366_6ca77e0292.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />From then, it was on to a 9 course meal with wine pairings by San Antonio Winery. Before I start talking about about the food, let me give you bullet points about the 3 factors that go into naming a Chinese dish.<br /><ul><li>The appearance of the dish (e.g. Lion's Head Meatballs, Ants Climbing a Tree)&nbsp;</li><li>The person who supposedly invented the dish or caused the dish to be invented (e.g. Kung Pao Chicken, Pockmarked Tofu, Beggar's Chicken)&nbsp;</li><li>How the dish is made (e.g. Crossing the Bridge Noodles)&nbsp;</li></ul>Interesting bit of information, don't you think? Ok, now on to our first course, which was a Minced Chicken Lettuce Cup. Apparently, this dish is based on a famous Cantonese recipe for squab.&nbsp; Not being a squab fan; however, I was happy to see and eat the chicken.&nbsp; Don't be afraid to just pick it up and eat it taco-style. No chopsticks needed.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6327504271/" title="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6211/6327504271_00cf054bdc.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Our second course was all about the Beijing Duck (or also known as the Peking Duck) and is something you'd have in place of the turkey. Roast duck has been around since the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368) and was originally just a dish meant for the Imperial Court.&nbsp; It took about 200 years or so for a roast duck restaurant to open and even then, it was still only a dish favored by the upper class. By mid-20th century, roast duck had become a national symbol of China and was enjoyed by everyone.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6327504179/" title="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6053/6327504179_8650ceb7e9.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />The Beijing Duck at Plum Tree Inn is served on a plate with crispy skin surrounding some of the duck meat in the middle.&nbsp; It also comes with shallots, thin pancake wrappers and plum sauce, which along with the skin and the meat, a server will prepare tableside a duck burrito for you to enjoy.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6328254958/" title="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6110/6328254958_a65acedb2f.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6328254864/" title="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6226/6328254864_fb72ab687e.jpg" width="375" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6328254750/" title="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn" height="357" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6019/6328254750_2257074027.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Doesn't the inside of this duck burrito look delicious?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6327503805/" title="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6101/6327503805_9d04453552.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />From duck, our next course was Lion's Head and I'm going to insert the word "Meatballs" after Lion's Head because basically, this was a big meatball dish. The cabbage covering the meatballs represented the lion's mane. Originally, this dish really had nothing to do with lions.&nbsp; Instead, it had to do with an Emperor who loved the landscapes of Yangzhou in Southeast China and asked his cooks to interpret them through food.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6328254562/" title="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6108/6328254562_c2d9d84f8b.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Hence, the look of this dish did look like a landscape but it wasn't actually called Lion's Head until the Tang Dynasty because others felt this dish also resembled a male lion's head. A rose by any other name, etc. etc.&nbsp; Regardless of the name, they were moist, had nice texture and were tasty.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6327503555/" title="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn" height="360" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6046/6327503555_44bd6b5d65.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Our next course was Two Flavored Shrimp with one being Sauteed Shrimp and the other being Sweet and Pungent Shrimp. I found the Sauteed Shrimp to be a bit bland and doctored it with chili and while the Sweet and Pungent Shrimp didn't lack in flavor, it was a little too sweet for my liking.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6328254366/" title="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6117/6328254366_1328b00f8a.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Following the shrimp dish came the Crispy Beef. I really loved the texture of the meat.&nbsp; The sauce it was cooked in tasted similar to the Sweet and Pungent Shrimp, but it had a bit of heat which I really enjoyed.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6328254286/" title="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6054/6328254286_b047e072b5.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Beijing Duck is usually accompanied by a Beijing Duck Soup with a broth made from the duck bones, so that nothing goes to waste. I have to say that I had Beijing Duck and Soup before in a couple of other restaurants, but this was by far the best Beijing Duck Soup I've had so far.&nbsp; When a soup is good on its own without the addition of any seasoning apart from what's already in there, that's pretty darn good soup.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6327503211/" title="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn" height="338" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6042/6327503211_0ce6f234b1.jpg" width="500" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6327503087/" title="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6212/6327503087_5edc9e1339.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Our second to the last savory dish was the Kung Pao Three Delicacies with Shrimp, Scallop and Fish. The history behind Kung Pao dishes is really interesting. It is common knowledge that this dish is named after an official; however, from there it all gets rather murky. In some versions Kung Pao is a general who lived during the Ching dynasty. In others, he is a crowned prince who discovered this dish while travelling and brought it back to the Imperial Court. There's even some confusion about whether the dish originated in Shanghai or Szechuan.<br /><br />Cookbook author Helen Chen provides an interesting twist on the story. In Chinese Home Cooking, she states that Kung Pao was the title given to the person charged with protecting the heir apparent, as Kung meant castle and Pao meant to protect. During a certain period, the Kung Pao was a man whose favorite dish happened to be spiced chicken with peanuts, and thus over time it was named after him. Whatever the case, the stories demonstrate the Chinese belief that naming a dish after an important figure gives it more prestige. As for Plum Tree's Kung Pao dish, I would have liked to be just a bit hotter, but I still enjoyed it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6328253852/" title="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn" height="349" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6230/6328253852_65003e679f.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Our last dish before dessert was the Asparagus with Chinese Mushrooms. Apparently, asparagus appears late in the history of Chinese cuisine, but today, Taiwan has made a major industry of exporting asparagus.&nbsp; It was actually nice to have an all vegetable dish. I wish it had come just a bit earlier.&nbsp; The asparagus was a little too crunchy for me, but I love the juicy, meaty Chinese mushrooms.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6327502805/" title="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6112/6327502805_a0757f062e.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Finally, our meal ended with a simple Sesame Rice Ball Soup with Rice Wine.&nbsp; I don't like desserts that are too sweet and this was the perfect way to end our meal.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6327502117/" title="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Media Dinner at Plum Tree Inn" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6103/6327502117_5ae3a45d51.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />While we had our Chinatown Thanksgiving Dinner at Plum Tree Inn, there are other Chinatown restaurants that will have Bejing Duck and/or Chinese-Style Turkeys available for eat in or take out.&nbsp; And yes, I did say turkey because if&nbsp; having duck instead of a roasted turkey is still an issue for some of you, don't despair.<br /><br />You can still have turkey, but what about a Chinese-style roasted turkey instead? Carefully steeped in a soy sauce marinade spiked with star anise, two different kinds of vinegar and sweet syrup, this turkey is then roasted, giving way to a crispy outside with a moist inside. So you really can have your turkey and eat it, too. <i><a href="http://www.chinatownla.com/news.php?newsId=73">Click here for a list of those Chinatown restaurants</a> </i>and a Happy Early Thanksgiving to you and your family!<br /><br /><i>A special thanks to Linh Ho of the Ideation Agency who provided all the Chinese Food History written in this post! </i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.plumtreeinn.com/">Plum Tree Inn</a><br />913 N. Broadway<br />Los Angeles, CA 90012<br />213-613-1819<br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/5/73564/restaurant/Chinatown/Plum-Tree-Inn-LA"><img alt="Plum Tree Inn on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/73564/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; width: 104px;" /></a><a class="summary-link" id="plumtreeCollapseLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='hide("plumtree")'>^</a> </span>pleasurepalatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12440637859807035906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28313024.post-32322439048787259572011-11-07T18:20:00.000-08:002011-11-07T18:26:16.286-08:00Six Taste Filipino Food and Cocktail Event at Nola's<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sixtaste.com/gfx/nol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://www.sixtaste.com/gfx/nol.jpg" width="570" /></a></div><br />On November 20th at 6pm, <a href="http://sixtaste.com/">Six Taste</a> will hold their annual Filipino food pairing event at <a href="http://www.nolasla.com/">Nola's</a>, in the Arts District in Downtown LA. Last year, they had a blast pairing 5 traditional Filipino dishes with five great wines. This year, the focus is on a selection of contemporary takes on Filipino dishes and unique Filipino-inspired cocktails. The pairings were designed in partnership between Six Taste, Nola's, and Filipino blogger Abby of <a href="http://www.sixtaste.com/pleasurepalate.blogspot.com">Pleasure Palate</a>. (Hey, that's me!) Tickets are available now at for $50. <br /><br /><br /><center>We have an exciting menu created by Nola's Filipino American Executive Chef Edric Ocampo. <br /><br /><b>MENU</b> <br /><br /><b>Breakfast Egg Roll</b> <br />garlic rice, tocino, egg <br /><br /><b>Adobo Chicken Wings </b> <br /><br /><b>Shrimp Fritter (Okoy)</b><br />shrimp, sweet potato, onions, garlic vinegar dressing <br /><br /><b>Lechon Carving Station</b><br />whole roasted pig, Manila style &amp; Cebuano style lechons <br /><br /><b>Desserts Provided By:</b><br />"Turon" Ice Cream by <a href="http://www.ramarfoods.com/icecream.php">Ramar Foods Magnolia Ice Cream</a><br />Ube Cupcakes by <a href="http://theletmeeatcake.com/">Let Me Eat Blog</a> <br /><br /> Guests will receive 3 drink tickets to use towards selecting one of the four cocktails especially created for this event.<br /><br /> <b>Lychee Cucmber</b><br /> ketel one, calamansi nectar, fresh lychee, fresh cucumber<br /><br /> <b>Spicy Calamansi Margarita</b><br /> corzo silver tequila, calamansi nectar, jalapeno, fresh lime juice, orange juice<br /><br /> <b>Manila Mule</b><br /> buffalo trace bourbon, calamansi nectar, ginger beer<br /><br /><b> Ube Passion</b><br /> bacardi rum, fresh mint, calamansi nectar, halayang ube, passion fruit juice <br /><br /> <b>STAY TUNED FOR MORE EXCITING NEWS! RAFFLE ITEMS, GIFT BAGS &amp; MORE!</b><br /><br /> This event is not recommended for vegetarians or vegans.&nbsp;</center><center>&nbsp;</center><center><a href="https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?c=cart&amp;i=1008283&amp;cl=81328&amp;ejc=2" style="color: red;"><b>RESERVE YOUR TICKETS BY CLICKING HERE</b></a></center><center>before they sell out! </center><center><br /></center><center><i>To Learn More About Six Taste, visit the links below:</i></center><center><a href="http://sixtaste.com/">Six Taste Website</a></center><center><a href="http://www.facebook.com/SixTaste">Six Taste on Facebook</a></center><center><a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/sixtaste">Six Taste on Twitter</a></center>pleasurepalatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12440637859807035906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28313024.post-32150758462482159722011-10-30T18:04:00.000-07:002011-10-30T18:39:59.332-07:00Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre Made Me a Believer Again<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6296490444/" title="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6219/6296490444_bbd227ea2b.jpg" width="368" /></a>&nbsp;</div><br />For those of you who may have read my post entitled "<a href="http://pleasurepalate.blogspot.com/2010/08/my-interesting-journey-from-ludo-bites.html">My Food Journey from Ludo Bites 3.0 to 5.0</a>", you know that Ludo Bites 5.0 was a bit disappointing for me.&nbsp; Unfortunately, I wasn't able to dine at Ludo Bites 6.0 so I missed out on a chance to see whether or not a new menu would take me back to a high note.&nbsp; Thankfully, I made my way to Ludo Bites 7.0 and with this menu from Chef Ludo Lefebvre, it made me a believer all over again.<br /><a class="summary-link" id="ludo7ReadmoreLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='show("ludo7")'>More ...</a><span id="ludo7Main" class="summary-main"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6295957201/" title="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6098/6295957201_848e54d113.jpg" width="369" /></a></div><br />Our meal started with the Bouillabaise Milkshake.&nbsp; Just recently, I had a conversation at another dinner with a fellow diner and he had mentioned that this particular milkshake played with his head.&nbsp; Even though he knew what it was, he took one look at the milkshake when it arrived and automatically thought of a sweet vanilla milkshake.&nbsp; However, with one sip, his (as well as my)&nbsp; taste buds experienced something that was cold, lush, rich, creamy, but with definite seafood flavors.<br /><br />There was a disconnect between what your mind was seeing and what your mouth was tasting, but I thought it was playful and interesting.&nbsp; If nothing else, it was one of the most talked about dishes at our table where whether you liked it or not, people thought it was a really creative dish.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6295956633/" title="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6052/6295956633_74b139b4e5.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />From the cold oceans of the sea, we went island way via the Jamaican Fried Chicken Wings.&nbsp; While the chicken skin could have been crispier, I enjoyed the tangy sweetness of the marinade and thought the chicken meat was tender and juicy.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6296489324/" title="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre" height="348" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6236/6296489324_97afee01c8.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Next was the Onion Tart with Battarga.&nbsp; It was more of a flatbread than a tart, but I enjoyed the light crispiness of the crust.&nbsp; The bottarga's saltiness was a perfect foil for the sweetness of the caramelized onions, but I wish that there had been more of it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6295956279/" title="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6216/6295956279_46688a013d.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Following the tart came the Dorade Ceviche with Cucumber Water and Parslane.&nbsp; This was a dish that was refreshingly tart, bright and herby plus the dorade itself was tender and succulent.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6296488978/" title="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre" height="341" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6220/6296488978_1a112b87a4.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />While waiting for our next dish, I ordered the Lavender Ginger Lemonade. It was interesting in that the drink was tart, floral and spicy and somehow it all worked together.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6295955903/" title="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6214/6295955903_16707eaf18.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><br />Our next dish was the Salt Cod Panna Cotta, Whipped Fingerling Potato, Smoked Tapioca and Toasted Olive Bread Croutons. When I took a spoonful of the panna cotta just by itself, while creamy, I thought it was too salty. It was more enjoyable when eaten with a crunchy olive bread crouton and the smoked tapioca.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6296488624/" title="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre" height="500" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6118/6296488624_bb6f2d7364.jpg" width="410" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6295955543/" title="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre" height="361" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6099/6295955543_11e12496e2.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Soon, the Raw Beef "Flambe" with Japanese Whiskey, Rainbow Carrots, Veal Jus Gel, Parsley Panko Crumbs, Mustard and Shallots arrived.&nbsp; This dish was definitely one of the highlights of the meal.&nbsp; I loved how the mustard added a strong, spicy pungency to the meat.&nbsp; The parsley panko also added a nice touch of grassiness which went well with the richness of the meat.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6296488150/" title="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre" height="361" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6048/6296488150_4740a29e68.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />My absolute favorite dish of Ludo Bites 7.0 was the Egg, Sea Urchin, Caviar and Champagne Beurre Blanc.&nbsp; Now this my kind of surf and turf.&nbsp; The egg and sea urchin were so creamy and tasted of land and sea and the caviar was the cherry that topped the sundae. If I wasn't sharing this with two other people, I could have easily eaten this all by myself.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6295955051/" title="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6019/6295955051_78d85c906d.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />The dish that had some Indian influence was the Plancha Tandoori Octopus with Yogurt, Cauliflower and Grapefruit.&nbsp; The octopus was very tender and the grapefruit added a nice acidity. Overall, it tasted good; however, if I wasn't told that this was a tandoori dish, I wouldn't have identified it as such. There was something missing, but I'm not exactly sure what.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6296487712/" title="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre" height="344" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6219/6296487712_e296c4d41f.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />One ingredient that always makes it way to a Ludo Bites dish is foie gras and that night, foie gras was the star in the Foie Gras "French Dim Sum" with Crispy Kimchi and Sake-Black Truffle Cream.&nbsp; The kimchi and the sake-black truffle did a good job cutting into the sweetness of the foie gras, which made this a very nicely balanced dish.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6296487426/" title="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre" height="332" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6110/6296487426_1359553c7d.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />When it comes to duck, I always look for crispy skin, which wasn't to be for the Duck, Cherry, Spicy Saucisse, Beets and Radish dish.&nbsp; Having said that, the tartness of the beet-cherry sauce partnered well with the duck, but what really drew me was the spicy duck sausage. I would have loved to have one or two more on the plate.&nbsp; What I also enjoyed was the fact that the beets weren't completely cooked through, so they had a crunch to them and their sweetness was a nice counterpoint to the radish which can have more of a "bite" to it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6296487264/" title="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6050/6296487264_2cb04c5cb4.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Our last savory dish of the night was the Poached Ribeye, Horseradish Cream and Green Beans.&nbsp; I'm never one to turn down a Rib Eye, but one thing I definitely learned is that I prefer it grilled, bone-in and not poached.&nbsp; I found the poached ribeye to be both tender and chewy at the same time, which was odd.&nbsp; While normally, a fan of horseradish, I found the cream to be a little salty. In general, this dish felt too "soft" to me.&nbsp; It needed some kind of crunch component, which the green beans didn't really supply.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6296486604/" title="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre" height="357" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6111/6296486604_c76e475094.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Finally, it was time for dessert and we went for the Lavendar Tropezienne Tart with Lychee.&nbsp; Unfortunately, this wasn't a hit at our table.&nbsp; The tart itself was a little too dry and the lavender so overpowered the lychee that you couldn't even taste the lychee.&nbsp; All the lychee did was add texture, but no real flavor.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/6295953491/" title="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre by Pleasure Palate, on Flickr"><img alt="Ludo Bites 7.0 with Chef Ludo Lefebvre" height="349" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6031/6295953491_6062d62e32.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />Overall, except for really just a couple of dishes, I really enjoyed my dining experience with Ludo Bites 7.0 and after this meal, I'm again very much excited for Ludo Bites 8.0 whenever that comes back.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ludolefebvre.com/ludobites">Visit Chef Ludo Lefebvre's Website Here!</a><a class="summary-link" id="ludo7CollapseLink" href="javascript:return(false)" onclick='hide("ludo7")'>^</a> </span>pleasurepalatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12440637859807035906noreply@blogger.com1